Blue Sky
by Shimmering-Sky
Summary: Sky Fudo has never lived an 'ordinary' life. From living through Zero Reverse, to finding out her younger brother is a Signer; from battling Dark Signer and Yliaster alike, 'ordinary' isn't even in her dictionary. Still, it is her life, and she is proud of it. This is the story of how she helped her brother and the Signers save the world (twice).
1. Chapter 1: Introduction

Me: Yay, my second Fan Fiction has begun! Seriously, please read my other one. All of my friends laughed their heads off at it. (Walks off and continues ranting)

Crow: Doesn't someone have to do the disclaimer?

Yusei: I'll do it. Shimmering-Sky doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5ds. She only owns her OC.

_**Me: Note, I have started revising the chapters (seeing as how the first good chunk was written when I was in sixth grade, and I'm going to high school this year). I will leave the original character-author conversations as they are unless they aren't related to the edited version whatsoever, and if I have anything to add, it will be after one of the existing conversations, in both bold and italics. Exactly like this. Enjoy the improved version of chapter one (because I don't feel like calling it the prologue)!**_

Chapter 1

**Sky's POV**

I'm so tired that as soon as my head hits the pillow, I'm asleep. As it turns out, sleeping wasn't exactly a good idea tonight.

_Emergency sirens and lights flash around me, and I feel scared. Mom looked scared, when she took us out of the nursery and handed us to Dad. Dad looks scared now, holding tightly to Yusei with one arm and pulling me along with his other hand._

_ "W-What's going on Daddy?" I ask, even more terrified than before._

_ "Something bad. We need to keep running," he answers. The long hallway finally comes to an end at a room that seems fitting in several of the sci-fi movies I secretly watched, complete with an escape pod, or what seems to be one. The room itself smells horrible._

_We stop running, and Dad presses some buttons on a machine next to the escape-pod-thingy. The pod opens up, and he places Yusei in it. "Sky, get in next to Yusei."_

_I climb into the pod and only once Dad straps me down do I realize an important fact, and I struggle to release myself from the straps. "What about you, Daddy?"_

_He smiles sadly at me. "Listen to me Sky. I love the both of you so much, remember that."_

"_But-"_

"_And promise me you'll keep Yusei safe."_

_I swallow, but it doesn't help. I'm already crying, I can feel it. "I promise."_

_Dad presses a Deck into my hands. "That's for Yusei," he says. "Goodbye now, Sky. Yusei. Stay safe."_

_The pod shuts, and Dad presses another button. "DADDY!" I cry, the same moment everything around me turns white._

**XXX**

_It takes me a few moments to register the change in my surroundings. Now it seems like I'm hovering over a slightly ruined building that's next to a cliff, and what seems to be a violent argument nearby. I can't hear what's being said, but I can see a guy, maybe fifteen years old, with icy-blue hair and gold eyes harassing some other kid who probably wasn't even half as old as him._

_The kid starts whimpering in fear as the teen goes near him. The teen stops, and it looks like he was going to kick the kid. That's when another teen shows up, black hair with yellow highlights and deep blue eyes, and tackles the angry teen. The poor kid runs away as fast as he possibly can._

_Now both of the teens get in a fight, wrestling on the ground, punches thrown, feet kicking everywhere. Soon enough, the dark haired teen is cornered against the edge of the cliff. The icy-blue haired teen takes two steps closer, and that's all he's given. The cliff collapses, dust everywhere, and when it settles, only the icy-blue haired teen is standing, staring in disbelief at the spot the other teen had been standing just seconds before._

**XXX**

I jerk awake, gasping for breath like someone had been suffocating me. My surroundings are blurry, so I blink several times and I discover that I had been crying in my sleep.

Considering the rate my heart is pumping at, I know I won't be able to sleep at all the rest of tonight, so I open my window. High places seem to comfort me, so I carefully climb out and once I spread my wings, I glide over to an old tree near Martha's house.

**To be continued…**

_**Me: Okay, so the original version of this chapter had a cliffhanger. But still, you have to admit this was a much better introduction. As always, I'd like you guys to review this story!**_

_**Crow: No! Don't review it! Reviews feed her evil muse!**_

_**Me: Yeah. Wait, Rudolph isn't always evil!**_

_**Crow: …You named your muse…Rudolph?**_

_***A tiny dog appears on Shimmering-Sky's head***_

_**Rudolph: Arf!**_

_**Crow: Are you telling me that little thing is responsible for all of your evil ideas?**_

_**Me: No. Only since May 24**__**th**__**.**_

_**Crow: How does that make any sense? You've been writing for practically three years before that date!**_

_**Me: I know. My previous muse is currently reloading. Too many evil ideas. Lucy overloaded herself. *Pauses, then smiles* But that's beside the point! I've gone on long enough, so review if you want to make Rudolph happy!**_

_**Rudolph: Arf! Arf!**_


	2. Chapter 2: Power

Me: Chapter 2 is here! Yay! (Runs around in circles like an idiot)

Jack: What's wrong with her?  
>Yusei: This is technically her first real Fan Fiction, and she's excited.<p>

Me: SOMEONE DO THE DISCLAIMER THINGY!

Crow: Fine, Shimmering-Sky doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5ds (thank god) but does own Sky.

_**Me: Hah, hah, I'm still pumped for this story. Enjoy the revised chapter two!**_

Chapter 2

I settle down in the upper branches of the old tree, a spot I recently discovered helps calm me down. Once I'm certain I won't fall, I curl into a ball and sob. I don't know how many times I've had that retched flashback while trying to sleep since the event itself happened.

But that isn't what bothers me the most. The second part of my dream… it worries me. I'm almost certain it was about something that will happen in the future. It wouldn't be the first time I've had a vision.

I steady my breathing, the first thing I usually do when trying to calm down, and I rub one of my wings. The white scales shine in the moonlight. To think, I wouldn't have these if I hadn't almost died as an infant.

My parents never went into detail as to what happened that nearly killed me, but they promised to tell me when I was older. I guess it isn't exactly possible now, since there isn't any way I can think of that they survived the explosion.

All they would tell me is that a dragon needed my help, and now her spirit resides in me. I don't really understand it, but I hope I learn the full truth about it sometime.

"I miss you, Mom. Dad," I whisper. I still haven't adjusted to living at Martha's orphanage, especially being the oldest of nearly a dozen kids. And I really, really just wanted to see my parents again.

So many things will probably forever remain secrets to me. Especially to do with my powers… Mom and Dad had only taught me the spells that would help me get out of tight situations. And even then, I only learned the basics, since there's only so much they could teach to an eight year old.

I know my powers develop as I get older. It happens to everyone in my family. Well, as long as they're told about what they can do…

My thoughts drift to Yusei. He's only two years old. Even though I wasn't allowed to go out much, I heard stories on the streets about what happened to people they called Psychic Duelists. Most of us Fudos are Psychic Duelists, but only after we know what we're capable of.

I don't want Yusei being hurt because of that. I'm never going to tell him about any of it.

A breeze interrupts my thoughts, and I see that the sun is starting to come up. Not wanting Martha to worry, I fly back to my room and shut the window. I yawn. Maybe I'll actually be able to sleep this time.

**To be continued…**

Me: Hm, this chapter was longer in my head. Oh well, next chapter skips ahead by like six years. Review if you want more!

_**Me: Yep! This chapter is still longer in my head… and there is still a time jump… so I shouldn't really have anything to say.**_

_**Crow: Then stop talking!**_

_**Me: Fine! Fine. Jeez… Review please!**_


	3. Chapter 3: Birthday Wishes

Me: I feel like posting a new chapter to this every day.

Jack: Whoop de do. Can I leave now?

Me: No, you're in this chapter. *In sing songy voice* Will you do the disclaimer thingy?

Jack: Fine. Shimmering-Sky doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5ds. Or any of its characters. Emphasis on 'any characters'

Me: On with the chapter!

_**Me: Well, my updates are far from daily now, and Jack would definitely not do the disclaimer for me, but I'm still trying to get out updates. Rudolph needs time, since he's just a wee Probie.**_

_**Sky: *Sighs, shakes head* You've been watching NCIS, haven't you?**_

_**Me: Among other shows. I even found this old file on my flash drive that I don't remember writing, and it's a mix of this 'You know you're a fan of' for crime solving shows. It's pretty funny.**_

_**Yusei: But you don't plan on posting it.**_

_**Me: Mmm, I'll stick it on my profile. Anyways, here's the updated chapter 3! Enjoy!**_

Chapter 3

Peeling open one eye, I look at the clock. 7: 30. It's too early for me to wake up. But I remember what day it is. Yusei's birthday… and the anniversary of the event that has been dubbed Zero Reverse, in which both of our parents died in. I have really mixed feelings about this day. I should be happy, since it's my little brother's birthday but I just can't… And that's why the past six times this day has passed, I leave the orphanage and wander around Satellite for the day. I just can't face Yusei today.

I quickly change out of my pajamas and grab my ever-present bag off of my nightstand. I'm fully prepared to leave like I normally do, but Martha walks in. "You better not leave again," she says and crosses her arms. "Every year, Yusei asks if you're going to be here today. I'm going to give him a different answer this year."

"But Martha…" I start to argue, but then I stop. It is kind of pointless to argue with Martha. Especially if she's holding her ladle. That thing hurts if it whacks the back of your head really hard. "Okay. I won't leave today."

Martha uncrosses her arms and smiles. "Good. Now since you're up this early, do you mind helping me set up?"

Well, since it's for Yusei… "Just show me what to do."

**XXX**

By the time the other ten kids come downstairs, Martha and I have set up the downstairs, to the best of our ability, to represent a birthday party. Materials like balloons and streamers are extremely scarce in Satellite, and yet Martha somehow had a couple of helium-filled balloons and some streamers to decorate with. The cake in the fridge was homemade, but Martha had some store-brand frosting on it. I can only wonder where she got everything.

Yusei's face lights up when he sees me. "Sky! You're here!"

My heart breaks. How could I have tried to avoid him? I shake my head, trying to get rid of my doubt, and smile. "Of course! Now come on, we have a wonderful breakfast prepared for you."

A grin crosses his face. "Chocolate chip pancakes?"

I smile right back at him. "You know that's right."

**XXX**

As a sort of tradition at Martha's house, the birthday boy or girl has to wait until after lunch to open his or her presents. Yusei is no different. And, leading up until that time, I see Yusei as I've never seen before. He's just about impatient as Crow and Jack when it comes to this. It's slightly unnerving.

But the happiness I see when he opens the presents from everyone else settles my unease. While the presents aren't much, and they're only wrapped in paper the kids decorated themselves, Yusei loves everything he gets. When he opens the last one in the pile, he looks at me. "Did you get me anything, Sis?"

For a few seconds I freeze up, _how could I have forgotten?_ Then I remember the Deck that Dad had given me. He _had_ said it was for Yusei. But I can't part with all of the cards. They're the only things I have that used to belong to him. So for now, as I take the Deck out of my bag and say, "Of course I do," I slide one of the cards out of the Deck. _Stardust Dragon_.

He doesn't notice the missing card, as the ones still in the Deck are impressive and near impossible to come by in Satellite. Especially the Synchros. "Wow! Thanks Sis!" Then Yusei practically tackles me to the floor in a hug—another side of him I haven't seen.

"I'm glad you like it," I say once he lets go and I sit up again. "I'm sure Dad would be happy as well." After a brief flash of sadness, followed by a quizzical look from Yusei, I add, "He's the one that gave it to me, to give to you."

"Then…" He trails off. "Then I'll make sure this Deck stays safe."

"C'mon Yusei," Crow butts in, "let's go check out the cards!"

That pretty much breaks up the circle of kids, and all of them run outside to play with their own cards. I'm pretty sure Yusei was actually the only one here that didn't already have a Deck. "That was real kind of you," Martha says, placing a hand on my shoulder. "You know how much he's been wanting a Deck."

"Yeah."

"He wouldn't have gotten it if you'd left."

"I know." She doesn't need to make my guilt about that even worse. I stand up from my position on the floor. "I should probably go make sure nothing happens to them."

The last time all of the other kids were left alone, a few of the older ones (not older than me; just older than the other kids), had started picking on Yusei. Yusei, being Yusei, hadn't tried to stop them. Jack, on the other hand, had stood up for his friend and gotten into a fist fight. Crow joined and ended up with a black eye, and Jack didn't have a mark on him.

"You go do that," Martha says. "If you need anything, I'll be in here."

**To be continued…**

Me: Okay chapter done! Oh, next chapter skips to Yusei's thirteenth birthday.

Yusei: Why exactly is that?

Me: I'm not telling. Oh, please review. I AM OPEN TO FLAMES. Seriously, I could care less about what reviews I get.

_**Me: Yep, I still want as many reviews as I can get. And I'm pretty sure Crow would love it if someone flamed this.**_

_**Sky: Where is he, anyways?**_

_**Me: Don't know, don't care.**_

_**Yusei: You don't care?**_

_**Me: Well, he **_**does**_** want to kill me.**_

_**Yusei: Good point.**_

_**Me: I know. Well, I'm going to leave this here! Please review!**_


	4. Chapter 4: Tournament

Me: *Sitting on a chair furiously playing a 3DS*

Jack: What's up with her?

Yusei: She just got a 3DS, and also finished reading the instruction manual.

Me: TAKE THAT SUCKER!

Crow: Hey, if she's doing that, then who's gonna type up this chapter?

Me: *Throws a pad of paper at Crow's face*

Crow: Hey! Oh wait, this has the chapter written on it. Yusei, you do it.

Yusei: Fine by me. Oh yeah, Shimmering-Sky doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5ds. She does own Sky.

_**Me: *Has 3DS again, but isn't playing it* Ugh, I don't know which game to play.**_

_**Yusei: What are your choices?**_

_**Me: To finish the new games I've started in Pokémon Platinum, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Explorers of Sky, Professor Layton and the Unwound Future, Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box, Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask, Professor Layton and the Last Specter; try and complete all of the bonuses in Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds World Championship 2011 Over the Nexus; start a new game in Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds World Championship 2010 Reverse of Arcadia or Bakugan: Battle Brawlers; or to pick up my old Gameboy and finish the new game of Pokémon Sapphire I started recently.**_

_**Yusei: *Blinks in surprise* How do you get in the middle of that many games?**_

_**Me: Uh, I start a game, then it bores me, so I go to a new game, then another catches my interest and I play it instead, and it just spirals downhill from there. It's kind of like what happens with all of the different series of books I read.**_

_**Sky: So basically, it's your lack of attention span's fault.**_

_**Me: Yep! Oh yeah, I have to go do something. *Throws a pad of paper to Yusei* There's the updated version! Type it for me, will you? *Runs off***_

_**Yusei: *Shakes head* Why am I not surprised? **_

Chapter 4

I grab my Deck off of the table next to my bed. Or rather, my old bed. Today Yusei turned thirteen, and by Martha's rules, that means he has to leave, and the only reason I was living here is because of Yusei. I'm going to miss this place, my home for twelve years. But at least we're allowed to visit whenever we want to.

Yusei left about twenty minutes ago with Jack and Crow, something to do with some Dueling tournament, and I want to go be in it. The only problem is, I don't know where the tournament is being held. Jack was the one that knew where it was.

'_Yusei, where are you?'_ I send out my thought. I might not have told Yusei about his powers, but one of the pros (and sometimes cons) of being a Fudo is that siblings have a strange ability to communicate through thoughts until one of them dies. That's when, I've heard, the ability is a con. Apparently it causes the surviving sibling a lot of pain, so I hope something never happens to me. I wouldn't want that to happen to Yusei.

'_We're in the west side of the Slums,'_ comes the reply. _'More specifically, we're in the old ice cream shop.'_

I smile and nod. I know exactly where he is. _'Okay. Tell the guy in charge that I'm joining.'_

'_Unless you can fly, there's no way you can make it in time.'_

I stifle a laugh. How unwittingly spot-on he is. _'I'll be there in two minutes.'_

'_Fine.'_

I feel the connection break, like it always does after we finish one of our 'conversations'. I run down the staircase. "Bye Martha! See you some time!" Now, it's time to get to the tournament in the two minutes I said I would.

**XXX**

Sure enough, two minutes later, I land in the alley next to the old shop. I made sure no one saw me on the way over here, due to a cloaking spell, but I can't exactly take it off in front or in the shop. There's a crowd of people there. I worm my way into the shop.

"You must be Sky," a young man, maybe only a few years older than me says. "I'm Kyle, the leader of the tournament. Your brother said you were just running late."

"Yeah, I had to make sure my Deck was in order," I reply. "Now, should the tournament start now?"

Kyle nods. "All of the competitors are here."

**XXX**

**Yusei's Life Points: 200, Sky's Life Points: 700**

It's the final round of the tournament. I've managed to clear Yusei's field, and with _Pyrus Delta Dragonoid_ at 2100 Attack Points, I'm set to win the Duel. "End this Duel! _Pyrus Delta Dragonoid_, attack—"

The door to the shop bursts open mid-sentence, and I spin around. From the green headbands all of the intruders are wearing, I know they're from the Duel Gang that controls this area, Team Emerald. There are only four members here, but that's enough to scare everyone out. Well, everyone except me, Yusei, Jack, Crow, and some other teen that seems awfully familiar. Just where have I seen someone with icy-blue hair and golden eyes before?

"Hey!" the tallest Duel Gang member says. "None of you asked for permission to have this tournament on our turf. I suggest leaving, before we take your Decks as payment to leave."

I fold my arms in my best 'as if' pose. "We don't take orders from you."

The other three Gang members share glances among themselves, and while I can't read minds, I'm pretty sure they were all thinking that I shouldn't have done that. The tall member, though, his face flares with anger. "How dare you speak to me like that?!"

'_Sky,'_ Yusei warns, _'I don't think making him angry is a good idea.'_

I shrug, meaning it towards both Yusei and the Duel Gang member. "I dunno, but you don't scare me."

"That's it!" the guy is really ticked off right now. "I challenge you to a Duel! I win, your cards and those other four kids' cards are mine!" He points to my three friends and the familiar stranger with them as he says this.

Jack steps forward, "No you don't!"

"I've got this Jack," I say to the blonde, then turn back to the Duel Gang member. "Okay, and if I win…" _What would be a fitting punishment for a Duel Gang?_ Oh, that's right… "You and your Duel Gang lose control of this part of Satellite."

The guy smirks, like he's the one with the better deal and the one that's going to win the Duel. "Hah! I'd like to see you _try_! I accept the terms of the Duel. But, it's going to have to be with Duel Disks, not some cruddy placemat."

"No problem." I pull out my Duel Disk from my ever-present backpack. My Duel Disk is always in my bag unless I'm using it. Easy access in case something like this happened. "Let's do this thing!"

**To be continued…**

Yusei: And now the chapter is done.

_He says this just as I walk in_

Crow: Bored with your game already?

Me: Nah, I just got stuck on a part. I meant to type the chapter, but I see it's already done. Oh, please review. I am open to flames!

_**Me: *Runs back in* Oh good, you finished. Thanks Yusei!**_

_**Yusei: What was it that you had to do?**_

_**Me: *Ignores question* So, do you think this chapter was a good redo?**_

_**Sky: Yeah. It was written much better than the old version.**_

_**Me: Chalk it up to me being a sixth grader when I started writing this. Anyways, I'd love to hear what you thought about this version of chapter four! And, like before, I'm still open to flames.**_


	5. Chapter 5: Duel Gang

Me: Yay, it's time to Duel! At least for Sky it is… Oh yeah, Sky's deck is based off of Bakugan. I just like it that way. She also has random Tuners thrown in as well. Jack, do the disclaimer.

Jack: Ugh, fine. Sky doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5ds, but she does own Sky. Can I leave now?

Me: Yeah, you're not really in this chapter. Speaking of which, here it is.

_**Me: *Sigh* You know, I kinda miss the Bakugan Deck. But I more or less have lost access to my yugiohcardmaker account, since my computer won't let me log into it for some reason, and I really like the Celestial cards.**_

_**Sky: You could make me use the Bakugan cards anyways. Come up with new effects for them.**_

_**Me: No… I don't want to. *Shrug* Oh well, enjoy the redone version of chapter five! **_

Chapter 5

"Duel!"

**Duel Gang Member's Life Points: 4000, Sky's Life Points: 4000**

"As the challenged, I go first," my opponent says and draws his card. He looks at his hand and nods. "Alright, I'll start by Summoning _Dark Valkyria_ in Attack Mode! I'll then end my turn with two face-downs."

**Dark Valkyria ATK: 1800, DEF: 1050, Level 4**

The monster that appears has a blue helmet over silver hair. Its wings are black, with two orange gems in each. The monster has on blue armor, and parts of its skin have a purplish tint.

"My move then," I say and draw my card. I can't help but grin as I see my hand. _There's no way this idiot can beat me,_ I think. Of course, since it wasn't a thought I was broadcasting to Yusei, my brother doesn't butt in with a comment. "To start things off, I think I'll activate the Spell Card _Mystical Space Typhoon._ This card lets me destroy one Spell or Trap card on the field." I look at the two face-downs he has. I think it's likely that he has a _Bottomless Trap Hole_ and a _Mirror Force_ if that doesn't work. I can slip around _Mirror Force_, so… "I destroy your right face-down. I believe it is _Bottomless Trap Hole_?"

The twister appears and destroys the right face-down card, and sure enough, it is _Bottomless Trap Hole_. Dumbstruck, the Duel Gang member takes a step back. "How did you know? Are you cheating?"

I grin. "I'm just good at guessing," I reply. "My turn's not over yet—I Summon _Ventus Ingram_ to the field, and by activating my Spell _Double Summon_, I can add another monster to join her. I Summon the Tuner _Hyper Synchron_!"

**Ventus Ingram ATK: 2000, DEF: 1500, Level 4; Hyper Synchron ATK: 1600, DEF: 800, Level 4**

The first monster to appear is a green human-like bird, with six wings that are a lighter color than the rest of her body, and dark green feathers that cover half of her face. She is joined by a blue robot that had a light yellow chest and two giant exhaust pipes coming out of its back.

"I Tune my Level 4 _Hyper Synchron_ with my Level 4 _Ventus Ingram_!_ Searing flames at the Earth's core reignite now, forging a dragon with powerful flames! Synchro Summon! Burn, Pyrus Titanium Dragonoid_!" I chant.

**Pyrus Titanium Dragonoid ATK: 3000, DEF: 2500, Level 8**

My red dragon appears from a column of fire. He has one main yellow horn, with two smaller ones farther back on his head, and two spikes on the back of the neck, with yellow and silver armor on his arms, wings, and knees. There are also blue diamonds set on each knee, on the chest, and at the end of his tail.

"Wh-What? How could you get a Synchro Monster?"

"I found it a while ago," I reply with a grin. "_Pyrus Titanium Dragonoid,_ attack _Dark Valkyria_ with _Dragon Force Striker_!"

My opponent laughs. "You just triggered my Trap! I activate _Mirror Force_! Your dragon is a goner!"

"I don't think so, _Pyrus Titanium Dragonoid_ can't be destroyed by card effect," I counter. "_Titanium Screen_!"

The powerful red blast that my dragon had sent blasting towards the armored faerie hits a shining barrier that appears, and the barrier tries to return the blast back at my monster. However, a crimson barrier wraps itself around the dragon, and sends the blast back on its course, only strong enough to shatter the shining barrier and the faerie.

**Duel Gang Member's Life Points: 2800**

"That's not all," I continue, "I play the Quick-Play Spell _De-Synchro_ from my hand. This card returns my dragon to my Extra Deck, and in return I can Special Summon the cards I used as Synchro Material from my Graveyard." My dragon vanishes, and the green bird and blue robot return. "Both of them will attack you directly!"

**Duel Gang Member's Life Points: 0. Winner: Sky Fudo**

A powerful blast of wind hits my opponent and sends him flying back into a wall, and he struggles back to his feet. "No… No way! I lost to a girl!"

**To be continued...**

Me: Not too shabby of a Duel, eh Yusei?

Yusei: No it wasn't. That was a very good one, I guess.

Me: You guess? Ah well, please review. I seriously don't care if it's flames or not.

_**Me: I guess it was a half-decent Duel, considering it was the first full one I ever wrote.**_

_**Lucy: Hey! It was **_**my**_** first Duel, not yours!**_

_**Me: *Facepalm* We can argue semantics later.**_

_**Sky: I'm not so sure that's a good idea.**_

_**Joseph: It's not.**_

_**Me: Yeah… So, review please!**_


	6. Chapter 6: Rise of the Enforcers

Me: Oh man, I haven't updated in like, three days.

*Random Wobbuffet appears*

Wobbuffet: That's right! *Puts arm to head while talking*

Crow: Why is there a Pokémon here?

Me: I don't know. Anywho, I am going to use the English names for characters.

*Gasp from the imaginary audience*

Me: Sorry, I'm just more used to the English names. I _do_ agree that 4kids messed up the series… *Walks off and starts ranting about that*

Yusei: I know, I'll type the chapter like last time.

Recorded voice: Shimmering-Sky does not own Yu-Gi-Oh 5ds, but she does own Sky

Wobbuffet: *Reappears* That's right!

_**Me: *Pets Wobbuffet* Oh, I've missed you my punching bag, ahem, trusty Wobbuffet.**_

_**Wobbuffet: That's right!**_

_**Sky: Is that all he can say?**_

_**Me: Yes. After all, he's the Wobbuffet from Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky. In the game, **_**all **_**of his lines consist of "That's right!" Speaking of Mystery Dungeon, I need to do something. Yusei, you're writing the chapter! *Leaves***_

Chapter 6

A long moment of silence passes with everyone still in the small shop staring at me. It's like they couldn't believe that I pulled of a victory against a Duel Gang member, and in one turn. The silence is broken when Yusei starts clapping, and he's joined by Crow, Jack, and the strange icy-blue haired boy.

"You… You just got lucky!" the person I just defeated exclaims. He runs out of the shop, and his friends follow him out.

"It's called skill—maybe you should get some!" I call after them with a big smile on my face.

The four teens with me laugh. I look at the one I don't know and say, "Hey, I never caught your name, even if you were in the tournament."

He shakes his head. "I wasn't in it. I was only here to watch. I want to form a Duel Gang of my own, only make it a good one, not like the ones that are here and terrorize everyone. I was hoping I could find some talented Duelists that would be willing to join me."

'_What do you think, Yusei?'_

'_It's a pretty good idea, I want to help.'_

"I'll join, if you want me to," I say. "Yusei's good with it as well."

"Heh, count me in!" Crow says with a smile. "Anything to help keep Martha and, well, everyone in Satellite safe!"

Jack huffs a little, and says, "I was going to say the exact same thing."

**XXX**

As it turns out, Kalin already found a large building that, while a bit destroyed, was abandoned and still has electricity and running water. We've decided that it will be our hideout, but our Duel Gang's name was still not decided on.

Eventually, thanks to Yusei, it was decided that our name would be The Enforcers. After all, we're going to make Satellite a safer place.

I hope this turns out alright…

**XXX**

I lean against the wall, smiling while I do so. Today is our first Turf War, meaning that I'm not the only one who's excited. Even so, I have to listen to the plan, since Kalin seems positive that it'll work.

My icy-blue haired friend places a map of Satellite on the table. The map is split into sections, each with a different letter in the center. One section is shaded in—the section that we already control. He points at Section K, which is right above ours. "Alright, the first one we're going to defeat is Team Ninja."

"A difficult one, then," I muse, recalling what they liked to do. Those in Team Ninja would wait and hide in the shadows and leap out at unsuspecting Duelists.

"Are you scared?" Jack asks.

"No," I reply. "I'm not scared of them."

"…Back to what I was saying," Kalin interrupts, "the plan I've come up with is that Crow tries to enter and draws them out. Then he'll run to a different location where Jack will be waiting."

"How come I have to be the magnet?" Crow demands.

"You're the fastest in our group," I say without a second of hesitation. "You can help pummel the idiots once you lead them to Jack."

"Mmm… Fine."

"Can I finish?" Kalin asks, a little but annoyed. "While Crow leads them out, Sky's going to sneak in and disable the traps they have set out. Once you give us the all-clear, me and Yusei are going to come in, and we'll take down all of their members. We leave tomorrow at seven, so go get some sleep."

**XXX**

_I have no idea where I am. All I can see is a lot of buildings—more like wreckage of them—and from a distance I see some Duel Runner with glowing red wings, and some sort of Duel going on with what looks like a white pod with giant arms. The red-winged Duel Runner loses its rider, and he starts plummeting to the ground._

_My vision zooms in, and I realize that it's Yusei, albeit a few years older and with a yellow Criminal Marker on the left side of his face._

I jerk awake before I see anything else, panting heavily. I've seen more than enough times in which Yusei, one of my friends, or even myself is in a situation that looks like they're going to die, but I don't actually see the death. I always wake up before it.

Rubbing my eyes, I roll out of bed and quickly put my jacket on. _'Time to clear my head,'_ I think, and I walk out of the hideout. Though, it seems like I'm not the only one who needed to clear their head, because Yusei is already outside, sitting on the cliff edge. I walk over to him. "Hey Yusei."

He turns his head. "Oh, hey Sky. Guessing you can't sleep?"

"I was, but I had a nightmare," I reply. "I don't want to talk about what I saw."

"I wasn't going to make you," Yusei says. He sighs. "I really should get some sleep. If I'm not at my best tomorrow, I might bring you guys down."

I bite the inside of my lip. "Yusei… I think it's time I gave you a card that should have been in your Deck since I gave it to you." I pull out the card and hand it to him. "There, it's _Stardust Dragon_. It was Dad's ace when he used that Deck from time to time."

Yusei examines the card and nods. "Thanks."

I smile. "You're welcome. Now, about getting some sleep…"

**To be continued…**

Me: *Walks back in as Yusei finished typing* …And I can't believe they cut off the ending to the entire series. I mean, who does that?

Random person: I dunno.

Me: Oh, thanks for typing the chapter Yusei. *Talks to reader* Yes, for some reason I think Kalin has slightly blue hair.

*Meowth appears*

Meowth: Review this story or Team Rocket will get you!

Kalin: How random does this get?

Me: Just go with it.

_**Me: *Closes 3DS* Oh, good job Yusei! Thanks for typing up the chapter.**_

_**Yusei: No problem.**_

_**Wobbuffet: That's right!**_

_**Me: Shut up already! *Sigh* Alright, I'm asking for reviews as always. Hopefully the Pokémon living in my head don't try to attack you…**_


	7. Chapter 7: Team Ninja

Me: This is going to be a serious chapter. Thank you to the people who have reviewed so far, especially x3AnimeLuver. I deserved the criticism. I'll try better on my chapters. Anywho, this is what I think the first duel gang battle would have been like.

Yusei: Why do you say 'anywho' instead of 'anyways'?

Me: I don't really know… Anywho, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5ds, but I do own Sky.

_**Sky: You really do have an issue with saying 'anywho'. Maybe you haven't done it in a while, but you still say it.**_

_**Me: Like I said before, I have no idea. So, just read the rewritten Chapter 7.**_

Chapter 7

My part in the Turf War wasn't hard at all. I mean, when the place you're trying to break into isn't guarded in the slightest, well… Easy as pie. All I had to do was waltz on into the building and turn off the power in the control room. Soon after, Crow and Jack meet up with Yusei, Kalin, and I, but we split up, Yusei coming with me.

The two of us end up having to go to the top floor, which appears to be a haphazard storage space, cardboard boxes everywhere. I close my eyes and concentrate, now being able to see energy. The auras of two people stand out amongst the dull gray of the boxes. I blink, and my vision returns to normal. _'They don't know we're here yet,'_ I think to Yusei. _'There're two people here. You take care of the one hiding over there, alright?'_ I point in the general direction of a corner.

'_Sure thing,'_ he replies.

We walk our separate ways, and the member of Team Ninja attempts to scare me. I don't even flinch. Instead, I let the grappling-hook adaption Yusei and I put together to latch onto his Duel Disk. I hear similar sounds from Yusei's direction, so I guess that means we can start.

The brown-haired, green-eyed teen in front of me attempts to untangle his Duel Disk. I laugh, "Sorry, that's not coming off until we Duel. Loser's Disk gets smashed."

He snarls at me, "How dare you mess with me? I'm Tobu, the leader of Team Ninja! You… you're just a girl that _thinks_ she can Duel but really can't. I'm surprised whatever team you're on let you join."

I smirk a little. "You should wait until after the Duel to trash-talk, shortie. Of course, you won't be, because I'm going to win."

Tobu's face turns bright red, and he shouts, "That's it! No one calls me 'shortie'! You better be prepared to lose!"

"Well then, let's do this thing!" I shout.

**Tobu's Life Points: 4000, Sky's Life Points: 4000**

"I'll be going first," I say. I quickly look at my hand. "Alright, I Summon _Subterra Gorem_ in Defense Mode, and then release him in order to Special Summon a stronger version, _Subterra Hammer Gorem_."

**Subterra Hammer Gorem ATK: 2000, DEF: 3000, Level 5**

A tall monster like a statue of rock appears, his coloring mostly dark brown but with yellow and dark orange parts as well. A dual-sided hammer is strapped to his back.

"Next I activate _Subterra Hammer Gorem's _ability, _Grand Impact_! Once per turn, you take 500 points of damage."

The living statue pulls the dual-sided hammer off his back and throws it straight at Tobu. Then the hammer returns like a boomerang, and it returns to _Gorem's_ back.

**Tobu's Life Points: 3500**

"With two face-down cards, I'll end my turn," I finish.

My opponent glares at me. "Lucky shot, girl. Too bad it's my turn now, I draw! I activate my Spell _Stop Defense_! This forces your monster into Attack Mode."

My rock-man stands up from his kneeling position and returns to his normal coloring. I don't change my facial expression, but I'm not very pleased with that. _'Well, I still have my face-downs,'_ I think.

"Next, I can Special Summon _Cyber Dragon_ because you control a monster and I don't," he continues. "_Cyber Dragon_, attack that pile of rocks!"

**Cyber Dragon ATK: 2100, DEF: 1600, Level 5**

The classic mechanical serpent appears, and then attempts to blast a stream of blue energy at _Gorem_.

"Nope, I activate my Quick-Play Spell, _Book of Moon_," I counter. "This forces your _Cyber Dragon_ into face-down Defense Mode, thus ending your attack."

"Grr… I end my turn with a face-down."

I draw my card, look at it, and smile. "I assume you wanted me to fall for your face-down. Mmm… _Dimensional Prison_, right?" Upon his facial expression of surprise, I grin even more. "Well, I'm using my _Mystical Space Typhoon_ to get rid of it!"

A tornado starts up, throwing several boxes around but mostly tearing apart the face-down that is, indeed, _Dimensional Prison_. "Don't think you're getting off the hook that easily," I continue. "I Summon _Pyrus Dragonoid_ in Attack Mode!"

**Pyrus Dragonoid ATK: 2000, DEF: 1500, Level 4**

My dragon appears, his underside orange and his back and head red. He has two bat-like wings, of which the underside is tan. A single dark yellow horn is at the top of his head.

"Then I activate the Equip Spell _Mage Power_ and Equip it to _Pyrus Dragonoid_! Now he gains 500 ATK/DEF for each Spell or Trap I have. I count two, so that means 1000 extra power for my dragon!"

**Pyrus Dragonoid ATK: 3000, DEF: 2500**

"I'm also going to use _Subterra Hammer Gorem's_ effect once more, taking away 500 more of your Life Points!"

The hammer hits Tobu again, this time knocking him to the ground.

**Tobu's Life Points: 3000**

"_Subterra Hammer Gorem_, attack and destroy the face-down _Cyber Dragon_ with _Taros Hammer_!" I declare.

This time, the hammer glows a bright orange-yellow, and it stays in the rock-man's hand. He charges at the face-down, and it flips up to reveal the curled up form of _Cyber Dragon_. Upon impact with the hammer, the mechanical serpent-dragon shatters.

"_Pyrus Dragonoid_, attack him directly and end this Duel!" I shout. "_Boosted Dragon_!"

_Pyrus Dragonoid_ pulls his head back and lets out one giant fireball. It shoots at Tobu, taking away the rest of his Life Points and causing his Duel Disk to explode.

**Tobu's Life Points: 0—Winner: Sky Fudo**

I start walking away without a word, not that Tobu was saying anything to stop me. I'm pretty sure he's trying to comprehend his loss to a girl. _'Yusei, you can stop Dueling your person. I just beat the leader.'_

A few moments later, Yusei walks over to me. He spots the dumbstruck Tobu. "Ah. Guessing he was the leader?"

"Mhmm. Pretty easy, at that." I clap my hands together. "What are we waiting for? The others need to hear about this!"

That was how my first Turf War went down. There were many others, some of which we almost lost. But we always pulled through. In fact, the only other really significant time was the Turf War with Team No-Securities…

**To be continued…**

Me: So, did you like it?

Kalin: Yeah, but why'd your character get to defeat the leader? This is like 'World Championship 2010' all over again. I didn't get to do _anything_.

Me: Hey, at least I let you stay the leader, even though my character is older than you.

Kalin: *walks off grumbling*

Me: Ah…. Please review, even if you are criticizing the story.

_**Me: Yep, I'd love some criticism. Preferably constructive, but it doesn't really matter. I love anything that can help me get better at writing.**_


	8. Chapter 8: The Last Takedown

Me: Oh man, I haven't updated in a while again.

Jack: Your viewers probably aren't that happy.

Me: Hey, it isn't my fault! I've been grounded from electronics for a week.

Yusei: So you're disobeying your parents?

Me: Yes. But I really wanted to update my story… Hey, can Kalin do the disclaimer?

Kalin: *Still mad from last chapter* Do I really have to? You don't own us anyways.

Me: *Starts giggling* You just did the disclaimer! Well, I do own Sky. Let's get this chapter going!

_**Me: Ah, I just love messing with the characters…**_

Chapter 8

Our map of Satellite is spread across our table, all but one area shaded in. The only remaining sector is the center one, controlled by the largest gang in Satellite, Team No-Securities. Their gang has twenty-eight members, while the second largest (that is, until we beat them) had eleven. That's a pretty big jump in number, and the eleven-membered gang was one we almost lost against.

"The only thing I have that even comes close to a plan is that we should all split up and try to win," Kalin says. "Let's go!"

**XXX**

Upon arriving at the base, we enter at the same time. Four of our opponents jump out at us from a hiding spot, and Jack declares, "I got this. You guys go ahead."

Even with a disadvantage like that, I know Jack's going to win, so I keep running. I run up a staircase, only to be stopped by two members of No-Securities. "You might want to get out of my way," I warn.

"Not until we Duel," one of them says.

"Sky! Let's do this together!" Crow's voice echoes. Shortly after that, he comes up the staircase.

I nod. "Alright, let's do this thing!"

All four of us turn on our Duel Disks, and we shoot out the grappling hooks.

**Grunt 1's Life Points: 4000, Grunt 2's Life Points: 4000, Crow's Life Points: 4000, Sky's Life Points: 4000**

"I'm going first, then!" Crow declares. "I'll start with _Blackwing-Bora the Spear_, and since birds of a feather just love to flock together, I can Special Summon _Blackwing-Gale the Whirlwind_."

**Blackwing-Bora the Spear ATK: 1700, DEF: 800, Level 4; Blackwing-Gale the Whirlwind ATK: 1300, DEF: 400**

"I end my turn with a face-down," the ginger finishes.

'_I wonder if he left the cards for me. Usually he would have busted out _Blackwing Armor Master_,' _I think.

The second grunt shouts, "It's my turn! I Summon _Steelswarm Caller _in Attack Mode! Then, by using my Spell _Double Summon_, I can release _Caller_ in order to Summon _Steelswarm Mantis_ to replace it!"

**Steelswarm Mantis ATK: 2200, DEF: 0, Level 5**

A tall black insect similar to a praying mantis appears, only the body is more longer than that of the actual bug.

"Oh, and since I used _Steelswarm Caller_ in the Tribute Summon of a Steelswarm monster, I get to Special Summon a monster like _Steelswarm Gatekeeper _from my Deck! That'll end my turn."

**Steelswarm Gatekeeper ATK: 1500, DEF: 1900, Level 4**

"Then… It's my turn!" I shout, drawing my card. "I'm activating Crow's face-down card, the Trap _Synchro Material_. This lets me use your _Steelswarm Mantis _as Synchro Material, as long as I forfeit my Battle Phase. Anyways, I'm Tuning Crow's Level 3 _Blackwing-Gale the Whirlwind_ with your _Steelswarm Mantis! Searing flames at the Earth's core reignite now, forging a dragon with powerful flames! Synchro Summon! Burn, Pyrus Titanium Dragonoid!"_

**Pyrus Titanium Dragonoid ATK: 3000, DEF: 2500, Level 8**

A red dragon appears, with silver coverings on his knees, wings, chest, and elbows. The end of his tail has a yellow spike, a blue-green gem set in his tail. Similar diamonds are set in his elbows and chest, and his horn is the same golden-yellow as the spike on his tail.

Moments later, I feel like I'm going to faint, and I barely have time to say anything before my vision turns black.

_I'm floating above a building in Satellite now. Wait… It's Team No-Securities hideout! Yusei, Kalin, and I think the other guy is the leader of No-Securities, are all on the roof. The member of the other Duel Gang runs, and Yusei attaches his grappling hook to his Duel Disk._

_The leader turns around for a moment and laughs. Then he keeps running, jumping across the gap between this building and the one next to it. Yusei doesn't jump, but stands awfully close to the half-broken railing. The leader grins, takes off his Duel Disk, and pulls as hard as he can. Yusei stumbles, breaking the railing and falling through the space between the buildings._

_Kalin shouts something, but the leader lets go of his Duel Disk, and Yusei keeps falling. Four stories is a long way to fall…_

I blink and almost cry out, but realize that I'm back in the Duel. I shake my head, _'I'll deal with it in a moment,'_ I think. My right eye burns a little, but I continue, "I activate the Spell _Titanium Burst_! By releasing _Pyrus Titanium Dragonoid_ and discarding my hand, you take damage equal to the cards I discarded times 1000!"

I hold up my hand of four cards and both grunts flinch back as a powerful wave of fire hits them.

**Grunt 1's Life Points: 0, Grunt 2's Life Points: 0****—Winners: Crow Hogan and Sky Fudo**

I don't even say anything, nor do I give myself time to turn off my Duel Disk. I simply take off, shoving the two goons aside and sprinting up the last three sets of stairs. When I get to the roof, my heart almost stops as I can see Kalin but not Yusei, and then I realize that Kalin is struggling to hold on to something near the edge.

The leader of the Duel Gang is back on this roof, and he's laughing. "So, you would rather die than let go? Then that'll be your fate!" He lifts his foot up, ready to kick Kalin.

"No!" I shout, running over. "Leave my friends alone!" I tackle the man, and we tumble over the railing. I can't see straight, but I can tell that the ground is coming up too close too fast—

A hand grabs my ankle and instead of hitting the ground, the rest of my body slams against the building. I tilt my head up and see Yusei attempting to hold onto me and the rope at the same time. "Ah…! Thanks Yusei."

"What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't," I reply.

Both Crow and Jack appear behind Kalin, and they help pull us up. I sit down and try to slow my breathing, but then I realize that my four friends are staring at me. "Something… wrong?" I ask.

"Uh, yeah," Crow says. "I'm pretty sure both of your eyes aren't supposed to be blue and glowing."

"Glowing?" I manage to get out. My head honestly feels like it's going to explode, and my vision goes black again.

**To be continued…**

Me: Mwhahahahaha! I made a cliffhanger!

Crow: Yes you did, but you also had your character kill somebody.

Yusei: That isn't right.

Kalin: Why couldn't I have been the one to kill that loser?

Everyone: KALIN!

Kalin: What, the dude tried to kill my friend!

Me: *Sneaks into another room* Okay, please review my story. Next chapter should come soon. *Hears a loud crash* YOU GUYS ARE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE!

Yusei: *Whispers to other guys* We better get out of here. Shimmering-Sky has a friend that is very violent.

_**Me: Yeah, I still made a cliffhanger. And I like the way I rewrote the last scene.**_

_**Sky: I hate you.**_

_**Me: Aw, I love you too! *Grins* Alright, drop a review please!**_


	9. Chapter 9: Terrifying Shadows

Me: I despise what happened in Pokémon the Movie Black.

Crow: Hated the plot?

Me: No, the fact that Reshiram was voiced by some dude. Reshiram is _obviously_ a girl!

Kalin: Your point?

Me: My point? Oh man… Yusei, you need to type the chapter. I'm going to go tell Kalin what my _point_ is. *Takes Kalin to another room*

Yusei: Why do I always have to type the chapter?

*Cricket noises heard*

Yusei: Fine, don't answer. Shimmering-Sky doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5ds, but she does own Sky.

_**Me: Yep, still hate the incorrect voice actor…**_

Chapter 9

When I open my eyes, I can't see anything, nor can I move at all. At least it feels like I'm standing upright, and not in some bizarre position that I've dreamed of being in a few times. Still, the fact that I can't see anything sends chills up my back. It's not just that, I realize, it's also the fact that I can sense something near me that also makes me nervous.

"So, you are the one that hosts my enemy?" a deep voice asks. "How pitiful you look!" It—he?—laughs, then continues, "Oh, I could get rid of you right now! But that just wouldn't be fair, would it?" More maniacal laughter echoes as an intense wave of electricity runs through me.

The laughing stops, and the voice says, "Let this be a warning to you, human. I know that your strength comes from your bonds, especially the one with your brother… so if you don't leave them, I will not let you get off this easily… and I will kill your friends."

Whiteness fills my vision, and I can move again. I jerk forward, recoiling as I realize that I hit something with my head. I blink a couple of times before I can see normally, and press a hand to my forehead. "Ow," I say.

"That's the best you've got?" Crow shouts, though his voice is distorted a little and both his hands are clasped over his face. "Freaking…" he mutters profanity under his breath and continues, "I think you broke my nose!"

"Uh… sorry?"

He replies with more profanity and rolls his eyes.

Yusei sighs, "Alright, we need to get you to Martha's. Doctor Schmidt will be able to help."

**XXX**

About an hour later, I've holed myself up in one of the bathrooms at Martha's house. I still have a strong dislike of doctors, so I really don't want to see this 'Doctor Schmidt'. Plus, I certainly have a lot to think about.

I pull out _Pyrus Titanium Dragonoid_ and examine it. The fact that I had a vision of the future—one that _almost_ came true—when I Summoned him bothers me. My visions have only ever happened when I'm asleep.

I continue examining my card, flipping it over and over again with two fingers, but nothing comes up. Well, I notice that my Duel Disk has a crack on the power chamber when I accidentally drop the card.

'_When did _that_ happen?'_ I think. _'Oh well, better fix it. That could cause some mighty complications if I try Dueling without it fixed.'_ I reach into my ever-present backpack and pull out my toolbox. But when I go to fix it, a bright light fills my vision.

**XXX**

I can't see. I can move, but I can't see. Because of that, I opt to stay in one place, worried that I might bump into something. Or someone. Like the last time I found myself in a place where I couldn't see, this time I can sense something near, although… much calmer than the first.

"Little one…" a female voice says, "you must be wary of the shadow being that spoke to you… Zek—" The voice stops for a moment. Then she continues, "My enemy is going to try to take over the world, like he nearly did so many millennia ago. I don't know how soon that will be, but he will, and you're the only one standing in his way."

"What makes me so special?" I ask. "For that matter, who are you? What enemy?"

"I cannot tell you everything just yet," the voice says. "I will say that, when the time comes, you will help me stop an evil older than the Earthbound Immortals."

"Older than…?" I stop, remembering the story my parents used to tell me. "But… those creatures are only in a story!"

"Be wary, little one…"

Suddenly, I can see again, and I'm back in the bathroom, holding a fully fixed Duel Disk. I resist the urge to punch something. Whatever that voice was trying to tell me left me with a lot more questions than answers.

Except for one. That evil presence isn't one that I should mess with… and he can definitely live up to what he said. My friends, my family… might all be killed. I don't know what I'm going to do yet, but I know that I _can't_ let that happen.

**To be continued…**

Yusei: …And this chapter is done.

*Kalin and I walk back in*

Me: Now do you get my point?

Kalin: Maybe.

Yusei: Kalin, why do you try so hard to get on the bad side of people?

Me: Yusei is right. You _really_ shouldn't try to get on _my_ bad side.

*A person poofs up*

?: If you do I get to hurt people.

Me: Hey! You don't get here until the next chapter.

?: Aw… Guess I'll be back then… Review the story anyways…

Me: Anyone guess who the two voices are?

_**Me: I'd still like some reviews, please!**_


	10. Chapter 10: Farewell

Me: Sorry I haven't updated, but I've been sick.

Kalin: You just want an excuse for not updating.

Me: I'm not lying! *Coughs twice* Anywho, I'm taking my anger/sadness out in this chapter.

Crow: That doesn't sound good.

Me: It isn't.

Wobbufet: That's right!

Jack: Get out of here.

*Wobbufet disappears*

Me: Oh… I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5ds but I do own Sky. And the story line. Also, the mysterious person who was in the author note thingy of last chapter doesn't come until next chapter.

?: Why?

Me: So that this chapter could have a bigger cliffhanger. On with the story!

Chapter 10

I roll over in my bed for the umpteenth time tonight. I can't sleep at all; the warnings of both the voices echoing in my head. _'How can I leave them all?' _I think. _'Especially Yusei. He's my family—the only family I have left—and isn't family supposed to stick together?'_

Somehow, sleep finally comes to me. But it's not good sleep, because I have a vision instead. One that I remember from a long time ago—and the reason that Kalin looked so familiar the first time I saw him!

A plan to prevent what the evil presence said forms in my mind. The event I just re-watched will make an excellent cover. It will hurt a lot… but definitely not as much as having to lose them all forever.

**XXX**

Several days later, my chance comes.

"Hey kid!" Kalin shouts. "Get off my turf, you don't belong here!"

I look at the kid; it's the leader from a Duel Gang we beat a few months ago. He's pretty much scared half to death, and can't move. Even though every ounce of me wants to interfere right now, I know that Yusei is going to stop Kalin, and that's how it has to play out or else my plan won't work.

Yusei does try to stop Kalin; in fact, he tackles him when the icy-blue haired teen tries to kick the poor kid.

The kid runs away as fast as he possibly can.

I don't know what gets into Kalin, but he goes full-on _angry_ at Yusei. I want to help even more now, because it's my _brother_ who is getting beat up, and he isn't fighting back. That is, until he blocks a punch thrown at his face and throws Kalin away.

This time, it's Kalin that tackles Yusei, and they get oh-so-dangerously close to the edge of the cliff. Both of them stand up, trying to catch their breath, when…

_CCCRRRAAACCCKKK!_

"What was that?" Yusei asks.

"You think _I _have any idea?" Kalin replies.

'_Now!'_ I think, running out from my hiding place.

At the exact same time I start running, the cliff—with Yusei on it—starts to disappear from view. _'They have to think this is real,'_ I remind myself. "No! Yusei!" I shout, feigning shock.

I jump off the remainder of the cliff, narrowly catching the edge of it… and one of Yusei's arms.

Yusei looks up at me. "Sky?"

"If you think I'm going to let my brother fall off a cliff and possibly die, you've got another thing coming," I reply, offering him a smile even though we're in such a position.

My grip on the cliffside loosens, but Kalin must realize what's going on because he grabs my arm before I lose my grip completely. "You have a death wish or something?" he grunts.

"No, but I didn't want Yusei to…" I reply, trailing off.

"Wait, you caught him?!"

"She did," my brother replies.

Kalin heaves a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if… Sorry about that, Yusei. I really don't know what came over me."

"It's fine. But if you could pull us up, that would be _lovely_," Yusei says.

"Right." He tries to pull the two of us up in several different fashions, but each time, the part of the cliff he is on starts to shake a little and lose some of the lower layers. It can't support him for much longer, and it certainly can't support all three of us.

"D***it," Kalin mutters. "The cliff is going to collapse even more, any moment now. Trying to pull you both up is making it worse."

'_Just like I suspected,'_ I think. I squeeze my eyes shut and say,"Yusei, I have an idea, but you aren't going to like it. Is there any way you can climb up and over me? Or even get on the cliffside and climb up it?"

"Maybe?"

He tries, and grabs my ankle with his free hand. Then he lets go of my hand, wavers for a few seconds, and grabs my ankle with both hands instead. The cliff has ample numbers of hand and footholds, though, and he transfers himself to the cliff instead.

'_Heh, thank goodness one of the activities the guys liked doing was climbing up and down this cliff,'_ I think gratefully. Yusei is able to pull himself over a more stable part of it.

"Okay, your turn Sky," Kalin says. But the cliff starts to crumble even more…

"Kalin, don't risk it," I warn him. "Just… just let me go. The others shouldn't have to lose two friends because—"

"Well, we shouldn't have to lose _one_ friend because of a f***ing mistake _I _made," he replies. "I'm not going to let go—"

While he was speaking, I found footholds and had placed my feet in them. Now, I let my feet slip out of them. It puts more strain on Kalin that he doesn't expect to happen, and my arm slips out of his hand. I watch his face fill with horror and him try to grab me again, but he's several inches too far.

I fall, preparing myself for the pain I'm going to receive when I land. No magic, not yet anyways. Time to fake my death.

**XXX**

The impact with the water and the rocks—the tall, jagged rocks—that litter the water hurts _a lot_ more than I expected it to, and I pass out for several moments. Maybe longer than several moments. All I know is that I only come to when someone presses their fingers to my throat—likely to feel for my pulse—and Yusei's voice, really quietly, saying, "Sky… Oh Sky, please wake up…"

My eyes flutter open with that, and I realize that Yusei was actually speaking normally, I just didn't hear him properly. "Yu…sei? That you?"

"Yes! Yes, it's me!" His face fills my vision, worry written all over it. "You stay awake, alright? We're going to get you help. I know you don't like doctors but…"

"It's too late, Yusei," I mumble in reply, wincing as I talk.

Casting spells in my family is usually limited to speaking the words out loud. But in extreme cases, if one concentrates hard enough, it's possible to think the words and it happens. _'Fake… my… death…'_

"What are you talking about?" Yusei asks. "There's still time! Are you giving up?"

"No, I really… mean there… is no time…" I say. A small orb of light rises out of my chest, floats in front of Yusei's face, and vanishes. Another one soon follows, along with another, and another, and another. They just keep coming, slowly getting more frequent.

"What… what are these lights?" Yusei asks, puzzled as another one disappears in front of his face.

"They occur… when… someone from our family… is dying. It's a c-curse of sorts… because there's almost… no chance… to save the person… once the first one comes…" I say with extreme difficulty. The spell only gives me a certain amount of time before it teleports me away, to a place where no one is, and I know the time is almost up.

"But there still _is_ a chance, right? I can't… I can't lose you, Sky," he says, his eyes filling up with teas

I shake my head, just a little because it hurts so much to do so. "Not for… me… I'm sorry I can't… be stronger…"

The tears slowly start streaming down his face, and Yusei shakes his head. "You're the strongest person I know, Sky. Don't apologize for this. It isn't your fault."

"It's not… Kalin's either, okay? …Make sure he… knows that…" With the strength I have left, I put a hand to the necklace on my neck and manage to take it off. I press it into Yusei's hand. "Here… it will… keep you safe when… when it's needed most…"

Yusei stares at the necklace and doesn't say anything.

"Be… brave… Yusei…" With that, the spell fully works, and teleports me to some cave. _'I can't believe it worked. But… Yusei…'_ Exhausted from what just happened, I manage to fall asleep.

**To be continued…**

Yusei: This chapter is…just…

Crow: Messed up?

Jack: Screwed?

Me: Oh, this chapter isn't half as bad as the sequel is going to be.

Crow: You're going to right a sequel that's worse than this chapter?

Me: Yes. *Whispers something in Crow's ear*

Crow: *Eyes widen* If that's what your sequel is going to be like, your mind is totally whack.

Me: Not whack. Screwed. Oh, please review before Crow tries to kill me.

Crow: That isn't such a bad idea…

Me: I'm out of here!

_**Me: Huh… my ideas for the sequel are **_**definitely**_** different now. Evil, still, but different. Oh well. Review!**_


	11. Chapter 11: A Day in Neo Domino

Me: I'm finally back!

Yusei: What took you so long?

Me: I had a vacation for a week to my grandmas' houses. I wasn't allowed to bring my computer.

Jack: Hmph, I liked it better when you were gone.

Kalin: Me too.

Me: Oh, you can leave now. You guys aren't in the next few chapters.

Jack and Kalin: Yes! *Dash out the door*

Yusei: Okay then. *Walks out the door*

Me: Oh well, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5ds, but I do own Sky and the new OC introduced in this chapter.

_**Me: Yep, it's been awhile since I've edited, but here it is…**_

**Chapter 11**

The first thing I realize as I come to is that my body is in intense pain. The second is that I'm in some sort of cave. _'But how did I get here?'_ I think, wincing as I pull myself up to a sitting position. Then my memories come rushing back to me. _'So… they think I'm dead…'_

A second wave of pain rushes through my body, and I manage out a healing spell to fix up my injuries. As soon as it does so, I lean back against the cave wall, closing my eyes for a moment. The spell to fake my death certainly used a lot of my energy, and using a healing spell shortly afterwards doesn't help my horrible exhaustion at all…

When I open my eyes, I feel refreshed and assume I took a nap. Either way, I can stand now, and I leave the cave only to get drenched. _'Just my luck, a storm…'_ I think. _'Actually, that will work perfectly. It can cloak my escape to Neo Domino—after all, Sector Security has no reason to expect an escapee from the sky.'_

My Duel Disk is in no shape to do anything at the moment, meaning my only way is with my own wings. At least it's not likely for someone to see me. I unfurl my white wings, stretching them a little because I haven't used them in forever. Then I start to run, and I'm about to take off when—

"Hey! Where do you think you're going?"

I almost trip and fall flat on my face from shock, but manage to keep my balance and turn around. The person who had shocked me is a woman, my age but a few inches shorter than me. All of her clothes are black—black skinny jeans, a black undershirt underneath a slightly torn army jacket, and black combat boots. She even has fingerless gloves and a baseball cap pulled over her head. Her hair is short and brown, and the woman stares at me with piercing green eyes.

"Uh… this is…" I try to come up with a decent excuse.

"Don't bother. You're going to the City, right?" she asks.

"Yes…"

"Knew it. You mind taking me with?"

I sigh. "Yeah, I guess." It wouldn't be good for me if this woman blabbed about what she saw. "What's your name?"

"Sydney," she replies.

"Sky. C'mon, we need to go."

**XXX**

We land on the beach and walk to the City itself. I resist the urge to gape at all the buildings. I haven't been here in over fourteen years, and even then I only got to go around the City like, twice.

Sydney whistles in amazement. "So, _this_ is Neo Domino City. Much nicer than Satellite, I can tell you that."

I snort, "'Much nicer' doesn't even _begin_ to cover it." I notice we're getting strange looks from some of the passersby, and I hear someone mutter something about our 'hideous clothing'. I look at Sydney's clothes, and then at my own. I don't think our clothes are ugly—a little dirty and slightly torn, but not hideous. Still, those people have probably spent their entire lives here, so I can see where they're going with that. "You have any money?" I ask my new friend.

"Fresh out, but I know where we can win some," she replies.

"You've been to the City before?"

"Before it split, yeah," Sydney says.

"Huh. Well, what's the place you have in mind?"

"The underground Dueling arena. You're good, right?"

"Well, I don't mean to brag, but my brother and my friends are the only people who've either managed to defeat me or can come close to it," I say, rubbing the back of my head sheepishly. "I was in a Duel Gang, you know, so I had to be the best…"

Sydney nods, "Then getting us some cash will be no problem at all."

**XXX**

As we approach the old building, I put my arm out to stop Sydney. "Are we going to disguise ourselves?"

"Nah, it's not like people'll be able to recognize us."

Even so, I pull up the hood of my jacket and shift my hair around some, so that people can't get a good look at my eyes. They're my most recognizable feature, after all, and I don't want to waste some of my energy on a disguising spell. I take a deep breath in, and follow my friend into the dilapidated building.

After descending three flights of stairs, the smell of booze, sweat, and throw-up fills my nostrils, and I try not to gag. Sydney seems unfazed, and walks straight over to the bar. She plops down on one of the chairs, catching the attention of the bartender—a man with dark hair, a crooked nose, and Criminal Marks on both cheeks. "We'd like to Duel," she says confidently.

The man sneers at us, "This ain't a place for girls."

I glare at him and reveal the knife I keep hidden in my sleeve. Then I jab it into the counter, mere inches from his hand. Surprise fills his face as I say, "Well, we aren't like most girls. You let us Duel, or next time I use the knife I won't miss."

The bartender slowly pulls his hand back, eyes on the knife as I remove it from the wood and return it to my sleeve. "I… suppose there is room for the two of you. But only in the one-turn-kill section."

"No problem," I say confidently. My Deck has several ways to pull off an OTK, so…

"Ditto," Sydney agrees.

"Fine, I'll just need your names… or nicknames…"

"Night," Sydney says.

I smile, "I think I'll be… Dusk, then."

**XXX**

A few Duels later and I'm up, against some guy by the name of Shadow. He's a young man in black, with a mask covering the lower half of his face. His eyes are hidden by the shadow that his hat casts.

"So, you're my opponent?" Shadow asks dryly. "Of all the competition here, and I get a measly _girl_?"

"Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I can't Duel," I snap. "You'll be the one who loses, regardless of who goes first."

"Really now? Well, since those who go first have to use card effects to pull off an OTK," Shadow grins, "you'll get the first turn. Unless you're scared?" He laughs.

"If it means making you shut up, then I'll gladly take the first turn," I reply.

**Shadow's Life Points: 4000, Sky's Life Points: 4000**

"It's my turn, I draw!" I shout, taking my turn. I look at my hand and smile. I have an easy OTK in my hand, just as long as I draw _that_ card in the combo. If not, then I have a different way. Harder, but it'll do. I hope I get the easier option, though… "I Summon the Tuner _Eccentric Boy_ in Attack Mode!" I shout.

**Eccentric Boy ATK: 800, DEF: 200, Level 3**

"Then I use his special ability, which lets me Synchro Summon using a monster in my hand," I continue. "I Tune my Level 3 _Eccentric Boy_ with my Level 5 _Haos Reptak_! _Searing flames at the Earth's core reignite now, forging a dragon with powerful flames! Synchro Summon! Burn, Pyrus Titanium Dragonoid_!"

**Pyrus Titanium Dragonoid ATK: 3000, DEF: 2500, Level 8**

A red dragon appears, with silver coverings on his knees, wings, chest, and elbows. The end of his tail has a yellow spike, a blue-green gem set in his tail. Similar diamonds are set in his elbows and chest, and his horn is the same golden-yellow as the spike on his tail.

"When _Haos Reptak_ is used in a Synchro Summon, I can draw one card!" I declare. I put a hand to my Deck, closing my eyes. _'Please, give me that card…'_ I pull the card off my Deck, and my right eye burns a little. A smile creeps up on my face, because that means… "I activate the Spell _Titanium Burst_! Now, _Pyrus Titanium Dragonoid_ is sent to the Graveyard, along with my hand. But, for each card I had in my hand, you take 1000 points of damage!"

"What?!" Shadow exclaims.

"Oh, and I have four," I say with a hint of sarcasm. "Looks like I win!"

My dragon explodes, and the light hits my opponent, knocking him to the ground.

**Shadow's Life Points: 4000. Winner: Sky Fudo**

"N-No way! I… I never lose!" Shadow shouts in protest, complete and utter shock written on his face.

I grin. "Well then, I hate to break it to you, but you just did!"

Someone pats me on the back, and I stiffen up before I realize it was just Sydney. "Great job! You earned us a ton of money." She holds up a bag that clinks a little, grinning at me while she does so.

**To be continued…**

Me: Okay, that's the chapter.

*Cricket noises*

Me: Oh yeah… I'm alone now.

*Sky and Sydney appear*

Sky: Hey, we're here now.

Sydney: Yep. Oh, Shimmering-Sky appreciates reviews.

Me: It's true. I also don't care if the reviews are flames or not.

_**Me: Still could care less whether or not the reviews are flames or not. Just as long as I get them.**_


	12. Chapter 12: Reminiscing

Me: I have decided to update twice today, since I was gone for a week.

Sky: Good idea, maybe more people will like your story.

Me: In this chapter you and Sydney exchange your pasts.

Sky: Hmm, that would explain most questions the readers' have.

Sydney: Yeah, but now I don't get to keep any secrets…

Me: Deal with it. Anywho, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5ds, but I do own Sky and Sydney so no touchy!

_**Me: Still updating two revisions in the same day!**_

**Chapter 12**

"This seems like a good place to stay, right Sydney?" I ask. "I mean, it's out of the way and looks like it's abandoned…"

The building has several broken windows, and it's missing a section of one of the walls. Inside, the place is covered with dust, but it doesn't seem to be in that bad of a condition. It's a little bit of a fixer-upper, but I'm sure no one will look for us here.

She snorts, "Pfft, this is in a better condition than my old place. Of course it's fine with me. We just gotta get rid of the stupid dust."

"Yep, I agree." After all, in Satellite, anything that had a roof and didn't look like it was going to fall down was good enough to be considered 'home'. Finding a building that wasn't half-destroyed was a rare commodity.

We dust everything off first, and then once that's done, we claim a room and crash.

It's a good sleep, nightmare and vision free. I don't think I've really slept since the day before I faked my death. I wake up the next morning feeling refreshed, at least physically. Mentally, on the other hand…

I shake my head. This is for the best. I don't want anyone to hurt my brother…

Stretching my arms, I head back to the room I think used to be a living room. Sydney is up as well, attempting to get a television to turn on. "D***it, work you stupid thing!" My new friend kicks the machine. Then she looks up, and realizes I'm standing there. "Oh, hey Sky."

I nod in acknowledgement. "Having issues with the TV?"

"Yeah," she looks at the metal box. "Can't get it to show anything but static."

"Let me try fixing it…"

**XXX**

Twenty minutes later, the television is up and running, and is playing about one hundred different channels.

I wipe some sweat from my forehead. "There, that should do it. I bet I could get more, but I was never as good as…" My voice cuts off as I realize I was going to say 'my parents'. That fourteen-or-so-year-old wound _still_ hurts the same as it did when it was only a day old.

"As who?" Sydney asks, curiously.

"As… my parents," I reply, willing away the annoying tears that are starting to form.

"Orphan then, huh?" Sydney asks. "Don't worry, I am too. Parents didn't want to sell our land to some big shots, and, well… they hired some assassins and had 'em killed for it. After that, it was off to Satellite for me—parents had friends there, and that earthquake hadn't happened yet."

I blink, absorbing the information. That's a horrible way to lose your parents, and the way she just passes it off like nothing…

"How'd yours die?"

"E-Excuse me?" I ask.

"Your parents. How'd they die?" she repeats.

"I'm not telling my life story to someone I met _yesterday_!"

"Hey, I told you some of mine," Sydney retorts. "It's only fair that you tell me some of yours."

I glare at her, but eventually sigh. She _does_ have a point. "They died… in the explosion. Zero Reverse. The _real_ cause of Domino's split."

"…So? Give me the details!"

I bite the inside of my lip, and then I spill everything. About how Roman, who _was _one of my parents' friends, stabbed them in the back in the worst way possible, causing the Reactor to spin in reverse and separate Satellite from Neo Domino.

I even end up telling her all I know about how I have wings, simply because I knew she would continue to badger me about it, and I don't feel like arguing with her right now.

"Huh. So, how'd you end up on the beach?"

"I… faked my death to get away from my friends," I say.

"Damn. What'd they do to ya?"

"It wasn't them… it was… someone threatened my. Said if I didn't leave, they'd kill them and make me watch."

"Oh. That makes sense. I was worried that they raped you or something."

My face turns bright red. "I'm seven years older than two of them, and almost nine years older than the other two—one of whom is my younger brother. Trust me, that _wasn't_ an option."

She shrugs. "I've seen it happen before. Don't judge."

I inch away from her. That was _not_ something I needed to hear.

My stomach suddenly growls. "Oh, looks like I need breakfast."

Sydney's stomach growls as well, and she grins. "I guess I do as well!"

**To be continued…**

Sydney: Ending the chapter with the mention of food is weird.

Me: Hey, this is my story! It has to be weird at parts.

Sky: That in itself is very…strange.

Me: I have the right to be crazy!

Sydney: Okay, before this turns into an argument, please review!

Me: I am totally open to flames!

_**Me: Haha, this isn't even the **_**strangest**_** chapter anymore… Well, still, please leave a review!**_


	13. Chapter 13: Capture

Me: Okay, I'm back with another update.

Sky: You seem down, what's wrong?

Me: Oh, one of my siblings _really_ annoyed me. Don't worry though; it doesn't really affect this chapter.

Sydney: What do you mean by 'doesn't really'?"

Me: You'll find out.

Sydney: You really can get on people's bad sides.

Me: Can't help it. *Evil grin* I'm not normal!

Sky: Uh… Guess I'll do the disclaimer. Shimmering-Sky doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5ds but she does own her OC's. *Under breath* It's creepy, but I have to put up with whatever torture she wants to put me through.

Me: Oh, guess I have to type the chapter now…

Chapter 13

"Hey, I think it's time to head back for now," Sydney said. Then she added, "You've already earned us enough money for today. Plus, it looks like it is getting dark out.

I glanced at my friend, and then at a hole in the roof that would let people see the sky. It was pitch black. "Wow, time certainly passed pretty darn fast," I commented.

"Guess it's finally time to go then," I added, before walking out of the underground arena to the place where me and my friend hid our Duel Runners.

I smiled as I thought about our Runners. Sydney had found a pretty good Duel Runner shop, and we both wanted Runners. Using the spare money we had-heh, we were practically rich-I'd bought enough parts to build two very fast Duel Runners.

As we approached our hiding place, Sydney put her arm in front of me. "Something wrong Syd?" I asked.

She nodded, and also said "I can smell a bunch of Sector Security hanging around these parts."

My eyes widened; I never thought Security people would be after us. Our escape from Satellite was completely unheard of. I mean, we flew to the City by my own means in the middle of a freaking storm!

"Okay Syd, give me a few seconds and I can see how many officers are on our trail," I whispered. After that, I closed my eyes and let my power run. I could see the auras of everyone around.

Once I opened my eyes, I calculated how many I had seen. _Seven plus four is eleven, plus another seven is eighteen, plus the two groups of five is… Twenty-eight,_ I thought, before my heart skipped a beat.

_That was the same number of members Team Non-Securities had,_ I added to my thoughts. "Uh, I'm guessing you forgot to tell me about part of your past?" Sydney asked.

"D-Did I say really say that out loud?" I asked, my face growing pale at the thought.

"I heard something about twenty-eight and then another thing about a Duel Gang," Sydney replied.

"Oh, well I'll have to tell you later. The thing with the number twenty-eight is how many Securities are surrounding our Duel Runners," I said.

I heard Sydney swear under her breath before asking, "How are we gonna get our Runners now?"

_Hadn't thought of that…_ "Maybe if we run as fast as we can to our Runners and hope for the best?" I replied, with more of a question than a statement.

"Hope for the best? You've got to be crazy if you think that's going to get us anywhere," Sydney said.

_Hmm, I wonder if I could distract the Security dudes while Sydney gets her Runner. I really don't want my friend getting arrested,_ I thought. "Okay, I've come up with a plan. I'll distract the officers while you get the heck out of here," I stated.

My friend stared at me. "So you're basically going to go get arrested so that I can get away? To *insert h-word here* with that idea," she said, not caring that she'd passed the 'No cussing' border.

I just stared at the ground while saying this; "Don't think I'm going to let you stop me. I'm a Fudo-I stick up for my friends and I'm also very, very stubborn."

My friend just stood there with her arms crossed. "Sorry you made it come to this," I said under my breath. I whipped out my Duel Disk and said, "I Summon _Subterra Gorem._ Hold her back _Gorem_."

I could have sworn I heard my monster say, "_As you wish mistress," _but I shook off the thought. I heard Sydney yell something that was muffled under _Gorem's _hand, but it was ineligible.

I hid my Duel Disk under one of my wings, knowing that my cards would be confiscated if the officers found them. It was still on, so Sydney wasn't escaping anytime soon.

_I feel bad about doing this, but it's probably the only way I could get you to stay put,_ I thought. Soon after I chuckled, thinking that Sydney might be almost as stubborn as I was.

_I have a bad feeling about this; maybe I should disguise myself,_ I thought. I changed my different colored eyes to a dark green. I also sharpened up the features on my face, thinking if one of my old friends got sent to the Facility they wouldn't recognize me.

The last thing I changed was my voice, making it much higher than it normally is. I just couldn't change my hair color; the two colors blended together perfectly.

"I guess it's now or never," I whispered, walking into the trap. Instantly there were sirens everywhere and officers were approaching me at all angles.

"Stop right there ma'am. You are under arrest for fleeing Satellite," one of the men said. Then he added, "There was another with you, where is she?"

I smirked and replied in my new shrilly voice, "How should I know? She took off as soon as we got here."

The officers looked at each other before a different one said, "Figures that trash from Satellite would ditch after freedom."

My face turned red at that comment. "Well why don't you just get this arresting over with, because even _trash_ can get bored," I snapped.

Yet another officer replied to that comment. "Oh, the lady's got spunk. Why don't we show her to the _men's_ Facility?"

The other officers agreed to that, letting off a bit of laughter as well. After it died down, I was _finally_ taken to the Facility, albeit the one for men. As I was being walked to the place where I was gonna get Marked, I thought, _Hmph, I guess I'll have to show these guys I deserve respect_.

When I was seated in the Marking chair, one of the officers said "This might sting a little," resulting in more laughter from the guys that arrested me. I clenched my fists together as I waited for the so-called sting to come.

The sting actually _did_ come, much to my surprise. Once the officer came to unhook me from the chair, he stared at me with amazement. I simply stated, "Um, was that supposed to, uh, you know, hurt?"

I got strange looks from the other officers too. I thought I was going to stand there the entire night standing in that room, but a different man walked in and escorted me to my cell.

As I was being escorted to my cell, I got crazy looks from any of the other prisoners that were awake. I could vaguely sense that they were thinking about why a woman was here.

"This here'll be your cell, new girl," the officer that escorted me said, putting emphasis on the word 'girl'.

"I'll have you know I'm nearly twenty-six years old. Don't call me a girl," I said, glaring at the officer with all my might. He noticed it and locked me in my cell as fast as he could.

Scanning the small cell, I noticed there were two beds, but neither were occupied. _Good, I get my own cell 'cause I'm a lady,_ I thought. I shook it off though, and climbed into one of the beds. It was actually more comfortable than my bed back at the old hideout.

Tears came to my eyes when I thought about my friends. _Oh Yusei, Jack, Crow, and Kalin, how I wish I could see how you were doing,_ I thought, before drifting off to sleep.

**XXX**

Me: Cool, I actually put a bit of foreshadowing in there!

Sky: Where?

Me: That last sentence… See, after this chapter I'm going to be following the actual series.

Sydney: *While giving me a death glare* That's lovely.

Me: Hey, you don't really play a line in the plot for a while anyways…

Sky: Oh great… Hmm, please review this story. Shimmering-Sky doesn't care if you make the review a flame or whatever.

*Wobbufet appears*

Wobbufet: That's right!

Me: *Thinking* _Hmm, I guess I need to get a better lock…_


	14. Chapter 14: Silver

Me: I'm finally back!

Sky: Man, you better have a good explanation for the huge break.

Me: I actually have two reasons. One, I had a serious case of writer's block.

Sky: And the second reason?

Me: I er, kind of got addicted to Mario and Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Sky: Really?

Me: I know… Anywho, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5ds, but I do own Sky. On with the chapter!

Chapter 14

"Hey girly, it's time for lunch," an officer said. I quickly hid what I had been holding-one of my cards-and glared at the officer that came to escort me to lunch. I hated it when they called me girly. It pointed out the fact that I was the _only_ woman in this prison.

My glares didn't do much of anything though, because the officer just chuckled and took me to the cafeteria. _Let's see, today is Monday, so that means we get cold soup and a little bit of bread,_ I thought.

Most of the tables were already full, so I assumed I'd been brought late. I walked over to my normal table to eat in semi-peace. Nobody else _ever_ sat at my table. If anyone tried I would glare them down. After three months of doing that, I'd actually gotten pretty good at the glaring thing.

I had eaten about half of my soup before a person came and sat at my table. I glanced up and got the surprise of a lifetime. _Yusei? You're here as well?_ I thought.

Yusei seemed to notice my reaction, but he didn't say anything. _He never was really talkative,_ I thought. "Hey, uh, you must be new here. Nobody sits at this table but me," I said, trying to keep up the tough act.

"There aren't any more seats left. That means I have to sit here," my brother said. I quickly glanced around and realized he was telling the truth.

Before I could say anything, I heard a couple of the guards laughing. I knew I couldn't do anything to them so I just started chewing on my spoon to let out the anger.

"You remind me of someone I once knew," Yusei said, observing my behavior with the spoon. _Yeah, I remind you of me. Oh Yusei, I want to tell you so bad that I'm still alive but I can't_, I thought.

"Oh, maybe we'll see each other again. My name's Silver," I said, coming up with a name on the spot. I noticed my soup was gone, so before he could reply, I got up and motioned that I wanted to leave.

I was escorted back to my cell, but a few minutes later, the door was opened again. And of all the people to be shoved in is Yusei. _Great, it was enough for me at lunch, now he has to be my cellmate? _I thought.

"Hey girly, looks like someone else decided to escape Satellite," the officer who escorted my brother said. _Again with the 'girly' stuff. You know, that's getting_ really_ old, _I thought while I slid off the bottom bed.

Before I could pull some smart remark, the door was closed, leaving us in near darkness. It's a good thing I was used to it, and it looked like Yusei was as well.

"I thought I was going back to the cell with Yanagi," Yusei mumbled. He couldn't see it, but I raised an eyebrow at that.

"You already had a cell? With that strange old man?" I asked. Yanagi had already been to the Facility about a week after I had gotten here. That old guy was a serious nut job.

"Yeah, I already had a cell. And once you get to know him, Yanagi isn't strange," my brother replied. Then he added, "Did that officer say that another person escaped Satellite?"

I chuckled and said, "You're looking at her. Or maybe I'm looking at him. Maybe even just talking 'cause you can't really see in this place."

It was true; you could barely see two inches in front of you. It was a little different for me, but not by much. "So how long have you been here Silver?" asked Yusei.

At first I didn't respond, but then I remembered that I had told Yusei my name was Silver. "Oh, erm, I've been in this cruddy place for about three months," I said.

"Three months being the only woman here? How come you haven't gone insane?" Yusei asked. I thought for a moment.

_Hmm, I might have to throw in some lies, but I'll try to stay as close to the truth as I can. _"Oh, I'm a very stubborn person. Plus I've got a few loose ends outside of this place," I said.

Before Yusei could ask another question, an officer appeared at the door. "I'm here to escort you both to the Recreational Room," he said.

_Is it Fun Friday all ready? _I asked in my mind. To my surprise, someone actually replied, _It isn't Fun Friday; someone important wants to see all of the prisoners._

I shook off the thought. _Maybe being in here for so long has started to get to me,_ I thought, as I followed the officer. Once we got there, the room was extremely full of people.

Yusei noticed somebody, and walked over in that direction. I followed him because I couldn't think of anything else to do. Once Yusei stopped walking, he started talking.

"Hey Yanagi, do you know what this is about?" my brother asked. _He must have seen the old man_, I thought.

"Yusei? You're alright!" Yanagi exclaimed, completely ignoring the question. It didn't make much of a difference, because at that moment everyone got quiet.

Up on a small overhang appeared a man. One that I recognized from when I was a kid. The last thing I remember is my face connecting with the floor.

**XXX**

Me: And I stop it there!

Sky: Why do you like ending in cliffhangers?

Me: Because I'm not normal.

Yusei: Why would you state that?

Me: Why do I keep getting bombarded by questions?

*Cricket noises*

Me: Hmm, please review.


	15. Chapter 15: Goodwin

Me: I'm here with another chapter!

Sky: Why did you leave off with me unconscious?

Me: That's how I wanted it. Anywho, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5ds but I do own my OCs. On with the chapter!

Chapter 15

I opened my eyes, almost immediately rubbing my face. It stung from the impact with the floor. I looked around the small room I was in. There was a guard sitting on a chair by the door, asleep.

Deciding to have a little fun, I walked over to the guard and said "Get up you lazy slacker." He didn't stir, so I smacked him. That got the officer up.

Unfortunately, I didn't get to hear his reaction, because Rex Goodwin walked through the door.

"Ah, I see you are already awake," he said to me. Then he turned to the officer and asked him to leave. The officer quickly left, rubbing the cheek that I had slapped.

"Would you please come with me?" asked Goodwin. I nodded and followed him to a fancy limo.

"Am I supposed to get in that?" I asked. I'd never ridden in a car, much less a limo! Yep, compliments of growing up stuck in a house and then being stuck in Satellite.

"If you would," Goodwin replied. I climbed inside and wondered how the builders of the limo managed to make it. The inside was huge!

There was another man in the limo excluding the driver. He was dressed kind of like a clown and had purple hair. The purple haired clown asked who I was.

"Lazar, I would like you to meet Sky. Sky, this is Lazar, the assistant Director," Goodwin said. My eyes widened a little when I heard my real name. I was in a disguise; how could he recognize me?

My question remained unanswered as the limo pulled away from the Facility. "Well now Director, why are you taking a criminal from here?" asked Lazar. He added something else that I didn't hear, and Goodwin whispered something back.

"Sky, I'm sure you know about the policy that forbids people to enter the City without a permit," Goodwin said.

I rolled my eyes and said "Uh, yeah, everyone from Satellite knows that rule. I also have a Criminal Marker on my face to prove that I broke it."

"Then I'm sure you know about the rule that sends anyone who breaks it to Satellite? Or in your case, _back_ to Satellite?" he asked.

That one, I did not know. But I really didn't want to return there after I'd lived in the City for three years.

"You, on the other hand have a choice," Goodwin said.

"I have a choice?" I asked. And then I added "So what's the choice other than returning to Satellite?"

The limo stopped before I could get an answer. "We're here," Lazar said. I climbed out of the limo and gawked in amazement. If I thought the limo was huge, then Goodwin's mansion was gigantic!

"No need to stand out here all day," a voice said, breaking me out of my trance. I followed Goodwin and Lazar inside to a room labeled private.

"As you asked in the limo, your other option allows you to stay in the City. The only thing you would have to do is participate in the Fortune Cup," Goodwin said.

I raised an eyebrow at that one. "So I just participate in a little tournament and I'm home free?" I asked. "There has to be a catch."

Goodwin pulled up a screen with four faces on it. "Sky, I'm sure you've heard of the legend of the Crimson Dragon," he said. I nodded, as that was one of my favorite bedtime stories when I was younger.

"Yeah, there were these people who worshipped this Crimson Star and the star granted them powers to fight off evil. Five people also had legendary dragons that would merge to become the Crimson Dragon. Every 5000 years there's this huge battle of some sort. You mean it's been 5000 years since the last one?" I asked.

"It has. These four on the screen are the ones we suspect to be Signers," Goodwin said.

"We already know that Jack most definitely is one," Lazar added. I looked closer at the screen. There was a girl named Luna, an older one named Akiza, the one and only Jack, and then there was Yusei.

"My brother is a Signer?" I asked.

"We only suspect him to be. But that is what the Fortune Cup is for," Goodwin replied. Then Goodwin pulled up another screen with a person that appeared to be trying to do a ballet.

"Zigzix, would you stop spinning while you work?" Lazar asked.

The strange man, Zigzix jumped about three feet into the air. He obviously hadn't been expecting the video call. "O-Oh it's you Director," Zigzix said.

"How is the detector coming along?" Goodwin asked.

Zigzix started some long explanation about it, and finally ended it by saying he should have it done by tomorrow.

"Is _that_ the guy who took over my dad's work?" I asked.

"I'm sorry Sky. Zigzix was the only one who wanted the job," Goodwin said.

"I still think he's a nut job," I muttered.

About five minutes later I made up my mind. "I guess I want to participate in the Fortune Cup," I said. Goodwin seemed pleased about my decision.

"For the next few days you can stay in the guest room," Lazar said. Then he called for someone named Mina to take me to it.

"Um, I need to go get something first," I said. "When I get back I'll go to the room." I wanted to get my Duel Runner and my old clothes.

"If you're going to leave, make sure you take a key card with you," Goodwin said. He handed me one. "That way, the guards will let you in."

I thanked him, and left to find my Duel Runner. _I wonder if I'll see Sydney while I'm at it_, I thought.

**XXX**

Me: Hmm, I think this is one of my better chapters.

Sky: Obviously. There wasn't anything bad happening in it.

Me: Except to the Security dude that you slapped.

Sky: Yeah, except to that guy. When do I get to see Yusei again?

Me: Uh, I don't know.

Sky: Why not?

Me: I haven't typed the next chapter yet.

Sky: Well then get to it!

Me: Fine. Please review and I am open to flames and anything else. If it helps me get better, then it makes me happy!


	16. Chapter 16: A Dark Premonition

Me: I've got another chapter here!

Sky: Really? You're on a roll.

Me: Yep, having another chapter within a day or two is pretty good.

Sky: So what's happening now?

Me: You've got to read it. I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5ds in any way, shape, or form, but I do own my OCs, including the two new ones in this chapter.

Sky: There's two new OCs coming?

Me: Yep. Enjoy!

Chapter 16

I followed the back roads to where I had last seen my Duel Runner. _I wonder if Sydney left it alone,_ I thought. Thankfully, my Runner was still hidden in the alley, albeit that it was covered in dirt.

I slid my Duel Disk out from under my wing and rubbed the place where it had been for the past three months. "That's much better," I mumbled. Then I slid _Mystical Space Typhoon_ into my disk, stirring up a breeze that cleaned my Duel Runner.

I tested the engine and sadly, my Runner didn't work. "Hmm, guess I have to walk back," I said to myself. As I left the alley, I heard an explosion. Being myself, I instantly returned my Runner to its hiding place and ran to see if anyone was hurt.

When I got to the site, I found that two people were dueling, and that the explosion had been caused by a card effect. _That means the person in the mask is a Psychic Duelist_, I thought.

The masked person was dueling a young boy. "You wanted to face the Black Rose, I'll give you something greater!" the figure shouted. "I Tune my Level 3 _Twilight Rose Knight _with my Level 4 _Lord Poison! Chilling flames engulf the entire world. Pitch-dark flower, set into bloom! _Synchro Summon!Appear now_, Black Rose Dragon!"_

The dragon appeared and wreaked havoc on the area. The poor boy facing the dragon was so scared, he couldn't move. "Attack his Life Points directly with _Black Rose Flare!"_

_With that much force, who knows what that attack will do to that boy_, I thought. I jumped in front of the attack. "I play the Trap _Hallowed Life Barrier_!" I shouted, forming a barrier that protected the boy from the Psychic part of the attack.

When the dust cleared, there was a small group of people that ran up to the boy. Among them were Yusei and Luna. Both of them were holding their arms.

The Psychic Duelist noticed and saw that their arms were glowing. "You also have marks!" the person shouted before using her dragon to get away.

"Are you alright Leo?" asked a young boy. Leo, the boy I protected said "I think so Dexter. This woman came out of nowhere and protected me."

"It was nothing," I said. "And I didn't come out of nowhere. I just run really fast." I looked at Yusei and Luna. Their arms were no longer glowing.

Deciding I didn't need to stay there, I ran back to where my Duel Runner was. "I'd better hurry, it's getting dark," I said to myself. All of a sudden, three figures walked over in the direction of the alley.

"Nice work Sydney," one of the figures said. I widened my eyes as I heard my friend's name.

"Yeah, we should have enough for that Duel Runner part soon," the other said. Sydney seemed pleased at that. Then she held her arm up, stopping her two companions.

"Whoever is hiding in that alley, come out now before I force you to," Sydney said. I slowly crept out of my hiding place. "Who're your new friends Sydney?" I asked.

"How do you know my name?" Sydney demanded, running up and pinning me to a wall.

"How do I know your name? We escaped Satellite together," I said. Sydney let go of me at that.

"Sky? I've been trying to find you ever since that night," Sydney said. And she added "Oh yeah, next time I say 'to *h-word* with that idea', I really mean it."

"Sydney, who is this?" asked one of her companions.

"Oh right, guys, this is my old pal Sky Fudo. Sky, these two are Escolar and Shoshan Timeday," Sydney said. I shook hands with the two brothers and felt a small tingle through my body when I shook Shoshan's.

I quickly dismissed the feeling and said "Well it's nice meeting the two of you. Um, have any of you heard about the Fortune Cup?"

"Yeah, we all have. We're going to watch it later," Shoshan said. A small creature appeared next to him. _Master, are you declining the Director's offer? _It asked.

"I've gone over this before; I'm not participating in the tournament _Mespirit_," Shoshan said. I kept staring at the creature next to Shoshan.

_Master, that woman is staring at me_, the creature said. Shoshan looked at me. "You can see Duel Spirits too?" he asked.

"Um, yeah, I can see Duel Spirits," I replied. Then I remembered what happened the night I was sent to the Facility. I wasn't imagining _Gorem_ talking to me; he really was!

Suddenly _Ventus Ingram_ appeared by my side. _So you've finally realized that we can talk,_ she said.

"I'm sorry _Ingram_; it never occurred to me that you were a Duel Spirit. I wonder why I couldn't see you before," I said.

_It's because your powers grow as you get older,_ _Ingram_ said.

"Well I'm happy I'm no longer the only one here who can see Duel Spirits," Shoshan said. "Syd and Escolar thought I was crazy."

Sydney and Escolar were both staring at me. "No, I'm pretty sure you've just added to the loony bin," Escolar said. I glanced at the sky and noticed it was past sundown.

"Okay, I'd like to stay and chat but I've got to get back," I said. "Plus it looks like my Runner needs a tune-up," I added. I placed _Teleport_ into my Duel Disk and instantly I was in front of Goodwin's mansion.

I showed my key card to the guard-who questioned if it was real-and I was finally back inside. "That took a while," Lazar noted.

"I had a little trouble with some people," I lied. "Plus, my Runner doesn't work. Speaking of which, do you have a garage where I can fix it?" I asked.

"We do, just in case Jack's Duel Runner ever broke down," Goodwin said. _Okay then, I just hope Jack doesn't recognize me_, I thought as I was escorted to the garage by Mina.

I set about to fixing my Runner when Jack came in. "What are you doing in here?" he demanded.

"What does it look like stupid," I replied. Thankfully, Jack couldn't see my Criminal Marker because I was covered in dirt. "Why don't you just leave me to my business and you go do yours," I added.

"Hmph, fine. But you better not have done anything to my Runner," Jack said. He stormed off, leaving me to fix my Runner in peace.

It was almost dawn when I finally finished fixing my Runner. There was a couch in the garage and, not wanting to get lost in the mansion trying to find my room, I fell asleep on it. I started to have one of my visions.

**XXX**

_There were two people Turbo Dueling. I noticed that there was a mark in the sky shaped like a giant. "If you think you're going to defeat me Yusei, think again!" a voice shouted. I looked closer at the two dueling and found that it was Yusei and Kalin. Kalin had the Mark of the Giant, meaning he was a Dark Signer. "I release my two tokens in order to bring forth the ultimate destruction!" Kalin yelled. "I sacrifice all these souls to you... Advent! Earthbound Immortal Ccapac Apu!" Many lights appeared and were absorbed into this heat-shaped thing, after which it was transformed into the giant monster. "Now Earthbound Immortal Ccapac Apu, pound this pathetic Signer into the Netherworld!" Kalin shouted. "I play the Trap Scrap-Iron Scarecrow-" Yusei started, when his Trap card was destroyed. Ccapac Apu continued its attack, swatting Yusei away like a bug._

**XXX**

Me: And that's where I end this chapter.

Sky: How could you end it like that?

Me: Because I feel like it.

Sydney: Man, I almost forgot how annoying you are.

Me: So I'm annoying to you?

Escolar: I've been here for two seconds and I think you are.

Shoshan: Ditto.

Me: Meh, just please review. They make my day, even if it is a flame.


	17. Chapter 17: Spirits

Me: Gah, I finally have the internet!

Sky: What happened?

Me: It broke for an entire day and after that my brother hogged it. We don't have wireless, just a cord.

Sky: That's sad.

Me: I know. I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5ds or whatnot but I do own my OCs, so no touchy!

Chapter 17

I jerked awake, finding myself in a different room than the garage. "W-Where am I?" I asked.

_You're in the guest room of Goodwin's mansion_, _Ingram_ said. "How did I get here? I'm pretty sure I fell asleep on a couch," I said.

_One of Goodwin's servants carried you here,_ replied _Ingram_. I got up and thought about my vision.

_That was definitely Kalin who was trying to kill Yusei, but why? _I thought. Before I could ponder any more about the subject, I heard a knock on the door. "Come in," I said.

Goodwin walks through the door. "I'm sure you slept better on a bed than on the couch," he said. To me, it really didn't make that much difference, but to be nice I nodded.

"What did you want me for?" I asked Goodwin.

"I wanted to talk to you more about the Fortune Cup, which is, by the way, tomorrow Sky," Goodwin replied.

"Wait, the Fortune Cup is tomorrow? Did I sleep through an entire day again?" I asked. Sleeping through an entire day more often happened back when I was in Team Satisfaction, so it hadn't happened in a while.

"Yes, you slept through an entire day. Anyways, about the Fortune Cup, you need to lose in the first round," Goodwin said.

"Um I'm sorry, but I don't lose on purpose. And while I'm here, please call me Silver," I said. Really, I didn't like losing period, but most people don't.

"Well then you have to even though you don't," Goodwin said. I crossed my arms and glared at Goodwin.

"And what if I don't?" I asked.

"Then you'll be forced back to Satellite after spending more time in the Facility," Goodwin replied.

"Oh, fine I'll lose in the first round. Why do you want me to lose so bad anyways?" I asked.

"There is going to be a recreational match for two people who lose in the first round. We expect Luna to lose her match, and if you lose the two of you will face off in that match. You have to push her to her limits, and we'll see if she's a Signer or not," Goodwin said.

Then he handed be a Duel Disk. "After Zero Reverse, I searched your parents' mansion to see if they had survived. I found this Duel Disk instead," Goodwin said.

I looked at the Duel Disk and realized it was my old one. Even my deck was still in its slot. _I thought this was destroyed in Zero Reverse,_ I thought. "Th-Thank you Goodwin," I said, crying tears of joy.

"You're welcome. If you need anything, just ring the bell next to your bed," Goodwin said as he left the room, leaving me to have my little moment.

_Mistress, why are you crying?_ Asked _Ingram_.

I took my old deck out of its slot and showed it to her. "These cards were given to me when I turned four. It's one of the few things I have left of my parents," I replied.

After a few minutes my moment ended and I checked to see if all of my cards were still there. As I was doing that, one of the Duel Spirits from the deck appeared.

_Is that really you? _it asked. "Yeah, it's me _Celestial Meteor_," I replied. Upon hearing my voice, all the other Duel Spirits appeared. They had all missed me when I didn't come home at the right time. Some of them had even thought I was dead!

"Okay guys, it's been a nice reunion, but I need to go freshen up. Tomorrow I have to participate in a big tournament. Maybe I'll use you all in it," I said. The Duel Spirits perked up at that and started planning something.

After I took a shower, I decided I wanted to know what my Criminal Marker looked like. Peering into the mirror, I found that it was a small yellow spiral next to my left eye.

I traced my finger over the permanent ink. "Well at least it's small and not covering most of my face," I said to myself. As I got dressed back into my old clothes, I realized that Jack might recognize me in the outfit. Instead of just tying the hoodie around my neck, I put it on over my shirt.

_Hope there isn't some accident where I need to fly,_ I thought. _It'll take too long to get this hoodie off, and by then it'll be too late._

_There shouldn't be anything that will cause you to need to fly during the tournament_, a voice mentally communicated to me.

"Um, whichever Duel Spirit decided to sneak in here, get out now," I said. The voice started laughing in my head. _I am not exactly a Duel Spirit,_ it said.

"Well then, what are you?" I asked. _Oh, I am a Duel Spirit, but instead of being linked to a card, I am linked to you,_ it said. _Oh yes, you can think whatever you want to say to me,_ the voice added.

_Can you tell me what your name is? _I thought at the voice.

_Hmm, I think in your tongue it is pronounced Reshiram_, the voice replied.

_Your name is Reshiram? _I asked.

_Yes, now I think your body wants food_, Reshiram said. Right after she-for the voice sounded like a she-said that, my stomach growled louder than it ever had before.

Remembering what Goodwin said, I rang the little bell. Within seconds a maid appeared. "What would you like?" she asked.

"Can you show me where I can get some food?" I asked. The maid nodded.

"Right this way," she said, taking me to the dining room. There was a huge buffet table along one wall along with many circular tables spread around the center of the room. There were many people walking around everywhere.

Not wanting to draw attention to myself, I quickly covered the left side of my face with my hair. That way, no one would see my Criminal Marker. I noticed Goodwin standing with a few people and I walked over to him.

"Hey Goodwin, what's going on?" I asked. I caught the attention of the two he was talking with.

"Ah Silver, this is just a party the day before the Fortune Cup," he replied. I heard what he said, but most of my attention was on the two people staring at me. "Oh yes, Silver, this is Hideo Izinski and Setsuko Izinski. Mr. and Mrs. Izinski, this is Silver, one of the contestants in the Fortune Cup," Goodwin added.

"It's nice to meet you Silver," Mr. Izinski said, shaking my hand.

"Maybe you'll face our daughter, Akiza, during the Fortune Cup," Mrs. Izinski said.

"Maybe," I said. Then my stomach growled again. My face turned bright red. "Um, I'm sorry you had to hear that," I said as I ran off to get food.

**XXX**

Sky: Is the next chapter the Fortune Cup?

Me: Yep! Although you don't get to duel Akiza.

Sky: Why not?

Me: Because. You get to face off with someone else.

Sky: Lemme guess, it's Luna?

Me: Shhh! Anywho, please review this chapter, even if it's a flame.


	18. Chapter 18: Fortune Cup

Me: And I have yet another chapter to add!

Sky: You really are on a roll.

Me: I know! *Has a really goofy grin on her face*

Sky: So, this is where the Fortune Cup starts?

Me: Yeah! Okay, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5ds in any way, shape, or form but I do own my OCs and maybe some of these cards.

Chapter 18

_Wake up mistress! It's time for the Fortune Cup!_ one of my Duel Spirits cried. Slowly I got up and saw who had woke me up.

"Okay _Ingram_, I'm up. Also, I think it would be better it I used my Celestial deck," I said. _If that is what you wish, I'm fine with that, Ingram_ said.

I quickly got dressed into my regular outfit and grabbed my Duel Disk. I also fixed my hair like I had last night, covering my left eye. As I went to leave my room, I nearly ran over Mina. "Oh, sorry Mina, I'm just excited," I said.

"It's fine, but the Director wishes to see you," Mina said. She led me to the dining room where Goodwin, Lazar, and Jack were eating. "Ah, why don't you come join us?" asked Lazar.

"Okay," I said, taking a seat next to Goodwin. One of the servants brought over a plate filled with good breakfast food. I disdainfully eyed the blueberry muffin.

"Um, I'm allergic to blueberries," I said, moving the muffin to a napkin. The allergy had revealed itself on my seventh birthday when my mom had made me a small blueberry cake. Luckily my mom knew what to do as she also had the allergy.

"Oh, well then why don't you just eat the other stuff instead," Goodwin said as a servant removed the muffin. "You're going to need all your strength."

I quickly ate one of the pancakes and a piece of French toast and downed it with some orange juice. "Director, we should leave now if we are going to make it to the Fortune Cup," said Mina.

Goodwin, Lazar, Jack, and I all stood up. "Hey Goodwin, I'm riding my Duel Runner to the stadium," I said. Before he could argue, I raced over to the garage. My Runner was still where I left it. I grabbed my helmet and started off towards the Kaiba Dome.

Within no time I was there and I showed the guard my invitation. He let me through and another one showed me to a waiting room. Most of the contestants were already there, including Yusei. He was talking to er, Leo but he was dressed like Luna. The real Luna had on a hat and a small overcoat on.

_Does Luna not want to duel?_ I thought.

_No, I think there's something other than that,_ Reshiram answered.

_I wonder what that is_, I thought. Reshiram made this shrugging motion in my head and was silent.

"Okay everybody, it's time for the tournament!" a guy with some strange hairstyle said. All of us climbed on the platform, which rose to the stage. The guy with the strange hair, MC, introduced all of the people. When he got to Yusei, there was a bunch of booing from the crowd.

They didn't stop until after a participant named Greiger gave this long speech saying they shouldn't judge Yusei by his looks and all that. Good thing he did; I was about to go Psychic Duelist on the crowd. I mean, if you got an opinion of the people in Satellite from a Neo Domino citizen, you'd think they weren't even human!

Anyways, after that was all done, the first match began between Greiger and Luna, aka Leo. The duel was hard fought, but in the end Leo lost. _They better get the right twin when I have to duel her,_ I thought.

My duel was up against some guy named Commander Koda. Like Goodwin said, I lost the duel on purpose. I was a little mad, but not by much. Soon enough, the rest of the first round duels were finished.

"Hold your horses folks! For two lucky losers in the first round, there is a chance to get back in the tournament! Let's see who the lucky ones are!" MC yelled, as a roulette appeared on the screen.

The roulette stopped on my name and on Luna's. I walked out to the Duel Field as the real Luna made her way down from the stands. The crowd was in a funk, since they had found out it wasn't Luna that had dueled Greiger.

As she stood on her place Luna said "You're the one that saved Leo."

"I am, now let's get this duel started!" I replied. **Luna's Life Points: 4000, Sky's Life Points: 4000** Luna took the first turn.

"I draw, and Summon _Sunlight Unicorn (ATK 1800, DEF 1000)_ in Attack mode. Now I activate my Unicorn's special ability. I can look at the top card of my deck and if it's an Equip Spell I can add it to my hand. If not, the card returns to the bottom of my deck," Luna said.

The top card was the Equip Spell _Horn of the Unicorn_. "I activate the _Horn of the Unicorn_ I just revealed and equip it to _Sunlight Unicorn_," Luna continued. _Sunlight Unicorn ATK 2500, DEF 1700_. "I place three cards face-down to end my turn."

"My move, so I draw!" I yelled. "Alright, I Summon an old favorite of mine, _Celestial Knight-Mercury (ATK 1500, DEF 1000)_ in Attack mode! I then activate the Spell _Double Summon_, letting me add _Celestial Blacksmith (ATK 1600, DEF 1000)_ to the field in Attack mode as well. I activate _Celestial Blacksmith's _special ability; once per turn I may add a 'Celestial' card to my hand," I said.

The card I added to my hand was _Celestial Barrier_. "Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that _Celestial Knight-Mercury_ gains 700 Attack points when one of his buddies are on the field," I added. _Celestial Knight-Mercury ATK 2200_. "I end my turn with three cards face-down."

Luna drew her card. "I Summon _Dreamsprite (ATK 300, DEF 200)_ in Attack mode. Now _Sunlight Unicorn,_ attack _Celestial Knight-Mercury_ with _Sunlight Stab_!" Luna said.

I shook my head. "Sorry Luna, your attack goes nowhere when I activate _Negate Attack_," I said.

"In that case, I activate the Continuous Trap _Pixie Ring,_ meaning you can't attack _Dreamsprite._ I end my turn," Luna finished.

"My move, I draw!" I shouted, drawing _Celestic Temple_. "Alright, I activate the Field Spell _Celestic Temple_!" I said. White pillars with the symbol of the Celestials on them, a ten-pointed star, appeared.

"Now any monster with 'Celestial' in its name gains 500 Attack and Defense points," I added. _Celestial Knight-Mercury ATK 2700, DEF 1500; Celestial Blacksmith ATK 2100, DEF 1500._

"Also, no other Field Spells can be activated while it is on the field. I now activate _Celestial Blacksmith's _ability, so I get another card," I continued, adding _Celestial Knight-Earth_ to my hand. I was pretty sure that one of Luna's face-down cards was _Torrential Tribute_, so I didn't Summon the monster.

"Okay _Celestial Knight-Mercury, _attack _Sunlight Unicorn_!" I ordered. "_Mercury Masher!_" Luna's unicorn was destroyed along with her Equip Spell. **Luna's Life Points: 3800**

"When _Horn of the Unicorn_ is destroyed, it returns to the top of my deck," Luna said.

_Well at least I know what she's going to draw next round,_ I thought. "I end my turn, since _Celestial Blacksmith _can't attack during the turn his ability is used," I said.

"My turn then, I draw!" Luna yelled. "First off, I activate my face-down Spell _Monster Reborn_! We all, know what that does, so welcome back _Sunlight Unicorn_!" Luna said. Her unicorn returned through a blue portal.

"I now Summon the Tuner monster _Sunny Pixie (ATK 300, DEF 400)_ in Attack mode. Before I Synchro Summon, I activate the Spell _Healing Wind_, which increases my Life Points by 200 for every monster on the field," Luna continued.

**Luna's Life Points: 4800** "I Tune my Level 1 _Sunny Pixie_ with my Level 4 _Sunlight Unicorn_ and Level 2 _Dreamsprite_. _Watch as these three lights become even greater as they merge to create this Synchro Monster_! The light of protection, _Ancient Sacred Wyvern (ATK 2100, DEF 2000)!_"

Her Synchro Monster appeared in a great flash of light. "Oh yeah, and because I used _Sunny Pixie_ in the Synchro Summon of a LIGHT-Attributed Synchro Monster, I gain 1000 Life Points," Luna said.

**Luna's Life Points: 5800** "_Ancient Sacred Wyvern_ also gains Attack points equal to the difference in our Life Points when mine are higher," Luna added. _Ancient Sacred Wyvern ATK 3900._

"I'm not done yet, I activate the Trap _Fairy Wind_ which destroys all other face-up Spell or Trap cards. Then we both lose 300 Life Points for each card destroyed," she continued.

Luna's _Pixie Ring _and my _Celestic Temple_ were destroyed. **Luna's Life Points: 5200, Sky's Life Points: 3400** The white pillars disappeared, returning us to the normal battlefield. _Celestial Knight-Mercury ATK 2200, DEF 1000; Celestial Blacksmith ATK 1600, DEF 1000._

"Now that your Field Spell is out of the way, _Ancient Sacred Wyvern_ can attack _Celestial Knight-Mercury_! _Sacred Lightning_!" Luna ordered.

"Not so fast, I activate my Continuous Trap _Celestial Barrier_!" I interrupted. "Now as long as I control a face-up 'Celestial' monster I take no Battle Damage."

Luna nodded and said "I end my turn by activating my own Field Spell _Ancient Forest._ Now all monsters must be in Attack position and if it attacks, it is destroyed at the end of the Damage Step."

As the ancient trees surrounded us, I couldn't help but feel that the place was familiar. Luna seemed to think the same thing. There was a bright flash of light, and the two of us were no longer in the Kaiba Dome.

**To be continued…**

Me: Haha, I ended in yet another cliffhanger!

Sky: Why do you do that?

Me: Because it's how I want it, and I'm the one writing this story.

Sky: Yeah, but it's based on me.

Me: It's still mine! ANYWHO, if any of the readers would review, it would make me so very happy.


	19. Chapter 19: Ancient Forest

Me: I am back again!

Sky: Good, I want this duel to be finished.

Luna: Is Professor Frank in this?

Me: Hey, don't reveal all of my secrets!

Sky: Oh, like the fact that you've already started writing the sequel to this and that Yusei-

Me: *Clamps hands over Sky's mouth* Okay, before this chapter is spoiled, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5ds but I do own Sky, the other OCs, and maybe some cards.

Chapter 19

As the light dimmed, I could see that we were in a forest similar to the one from Luna's Field Spell. "Wh-Where are we?" I asked.

"I don't know, but I have this weird feeling that I've been here before," Luna replied.

I had the same feeling, but I couldn't ponder it anymore. I heard an evil laugh from behind me. A man with an _Ido the Supreme Magical Force_ next to him was the one who laughed.

"Finally, after years and years of searching, I've finally made it to the Spirit World!" the guy said.

"Uh, you've made it to the what now?" I asked. I seriously had no clue where we were.

"We're in the Spirit World, a place where all the Duel Spirits live," the man replied. "And now I can take over this world! Aided by _Ido_, I will control all the Duel Spirits!"

"I won't let you do anything like that!" Luna exclaimed. "Duel Spirits can't be controlled, you'll just destroy them!"

_The girl is right mistress_, _Celestial Blacksmith_ said. "I agree with Luna, and I also add that you are just another lunatic that tries to take over the world. They all fail, ding-dong," I said.

"Yes, but they have all tried to take over the _human_ world. I am going to take over the_ Spirit_ World," the crazy man said.

As he said that, _Ido_ lashed out at some of the trees. They snapped clean in two, and a few _Nimble Momongas _fled.

"Stop it!" Luna yelled, after which _Ancient Sacred Wyvern_ attacked _Ido the Supreme Magical Force._

"Help her, _Celestial Blacksmith_," I ordered. Both monsters tried to attack, but an invisible barrier prevented _Ido_ from being hurt.

_Ido the Supreme Magical Force_ continued destroying the trees. I could almost feel each blow to them. Then the solution hit me. "Luna, this guy came to the Spirit World through our duel, right?" I asked.

"Oh yeah, I think you're right," Luna replied.

"Well maybe if we finish it then we can go home, along with ding-dong over there," I said. "I do believe it's my turn," I said as I drew my card. "I activate the Spell _Mystical Space Typhoon_ so I choose to destroy your face-down card."

I didn't dare destroy the Field Spell and I needed to Summon a monster. Sure enough, the face-down was _Torrential Tribute_."Now that that card is out of the way, I can Summon _Celestial Defender (ATK 500, DEF 2000)_ in Attack position due to the Field Spell. I can also Special Summon _Celestial Wizard (ATK 1800, DEF 1000)_ because I have a 'Celestial' monster on the field," I continued.

Two monsters, one with a silver shield and one with a staff appeared. _Good, now I have the perfect defense,_ I thought. Celestial Defender_ would force the attack to go to him and _Celestial Wizard_ would prevent the destruction._ "I activate _Celestial Blacksmith's_ ability, letting me add _Celestial Force_ to my hand. I end my turn," I finished.

"I draw!" Luna exclaimed. "_Ancient Sacred Wyvern,_ attack _Celestial Blacksmith_ with _Sacred Lightning_!"

"Sorry Luna, with _Celestial Defender_ on the field, you have to attack it. Oh, and _Celestial Wizard's_ ability prevents the destruction of all 'Celestial' monsters except for himself," I said.

_Celestial Defender_ blocked the attack, after which Luna's monster was destroyed because of _Ancient Forest_. "I end my turn, and by paying 1000 Life Points _Ancient Sacred Wyvern_ can return to the Field.

**Luna's Life Points: 4200** _Ancient Sacred Wyvern ATK 2900._ "My turn then, so I draw!" I yelled. "Okay, I'm starting off by Summoning the Tuner monster _Celestial Knight-Earth (ATK 1900, DEF 1000)_ in Attack mode!"

A knight in pale green armor appeared holding a silver sword. The symbol of the Celestials was imprinted on the hilt.

"Now I Tune my Level 4 _Celestial Knight-Earth_ with my Level 3 _Celestial Blacksmith_. _Let the light in the sky merge with the darkness in the earth as I Synchro Summon, Celestial Dragon-Moon (ATK 1500, DEF 2700)!_"

A dragon with pale blue wings and a dark purple body appeared. _What can I do for you?_ _Celestial Dragon-Moon _asked. "Actually, you might not be staying on the field that long. Luna, do you have a Level 8 Synchro monster?" I asked.

Luna nodded. "Well then, that gives me the ability to activate the Trap _Synchro Showdown_! If there is a Synchro monster with the same Level on both sides of the field, they are returned to the Extra Deck. Then we can Special Summon a Synchro monster from the Extra Deck with one more Level than the one returned," I said.

"I choose my _Light End Dragon (ATK 2600, DEF 2100)_," Luna said.

"And I choose my-" I started. _Wait mistress, use me!" Pyrus Titanium Dragonoid_ said. _I fit the bill, and I won't be destroyed due to her Field Spell_, he added.

"Very well, I choose my _Pyrus Titanium Dragonoid (ATK 3000, DEF 2500)_," I said. "Now for the second part of my Trap; our monsters are forced to do battle, and no card effects can be used."

"But that means _Light End Dragon_ is a goner!" Luna exclaimed.

"Sorry, but it's the only way home. _Pyrus Titanium Dragonoid_, destroy _Light End Dragon_ with _Dragon Force Striker_!" I yelled. **Luna's Life Points: 3800**

"Oh yes, your Field Spell can't destroy my dragon due to his special ability," I added. "I end my turn with a face-down."

"My turn then," Luna said. Then she sighed. "I can't do anything, so I guess I end my turn," she said.

"Okay, it's my move!" I said. "_Pyrus Titanium Dragonoid_, attack her Life Points directly!" I ordered. _With pleasure, mistress_, he said. **Luna's Life Points: 800**

Before I could deliver the final blow, _Ido the Supreme Magical Force_ knocked another tree over, sending it toppling towards Luna. I quickly ran over and removed Luna from its path.

"We need to stop this duel now," I said. "_Celestial Wizard_, attack Luna directly! _Spatial Rift!_" I yelled. **Luna's Life Points: 0** As soon as the counter hit zero, there was another flash of light and I was in a different part of the forest.

All of my Duel Spirits were there, including a white dragon that I didn't recognize. "Um, are you Reshiram?" I asked the dragon.

_Yes I am, and I'm also the one who saved you when you were born_, she replied. "Okay, well then thanks for saving me," I said.

_You're welcome. Now, you need to know that this world is in danger_, Reshiram said. "Er, if you meant that crazy dude, I think he's gone now," I said.

_I don't mean him, I mean it's in danger from the darkness that's rising_, Reshiram said.

_Yeah, this forest is the only thing that Zeman hasn't corrupted_, _Celestial Dragon-Sol _added. "Is Zeman one of the Dark Signer's monsters?" I asked.

_You got it, and that girl Luna is the one who must face him,_ _Pyrus Titanium Dragonoid_ said. "Well could I help her?" I asked. "She's too young to face something like this alone."

_It would be possible, but for right now you must return to the human world,_ _Celestial Dragon-Moon _said.

_I will call you here when it is time_, Reshiram said. And then, with a flash of light, the forest disappeared. I was back in the Kaiba Dome, and both Jack and Yusei were near me.

Jack yelled something at me, but I couldn't hear. My head felt too heavy from the travel between worlds, and I lost consciousness.

Sky: Why do you always end chapters with me losing consciousness?

Me: I think you've been here long enough to know the answer.

Jack: Am I back in this now?

Me: Yep! Although most of the torture happens to Sky…

Sky: Let me guess, it's because I'm the main character?

Me: You're finally catching on. Well, I just want some reviews, so I'll leave that to the readers.


	20. Chapter 20: Old Friends

Me: Dang, I haven't updated in a few days. Stupid internet cord went missing.

Sky: That's lovely.

Yusei: Do Jack and I find out about Sky now?

Me: Yes, and you might be out of character.

Jack: What about me?

Me: I'm not going to tell you everything!

Jack: Hmph.

Me: Okay then, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5ds or whatever, but I do own Sky and maybe some of her cards.

Chapter 20

"Ugh, what happened?" I asked. My head was extremely fuzzy, and so I thought it was just my imagination when I was suddenly pinned to a wall. I realized it wasn't when a familiar voice yelled at me.

"How did you get that card?" it yelled. My vision cleared and I realized Jack was the one who had me pinned to the wall. "Well? Answer me!" he yelled.

"Jack, you should put her down. Maybe then she'll talk," Yusei said.

"But then she'll run away and we won't get any answers Yusei," Jack bellowed, which happened to be right into my ear.

"Keep yelling and you won't have ears to hear the answers with," I threatened.

"Grr, well answer my question," Jack said, if only a few decibels lower than before. Before I answered, I removed the illusions from myself.

"I'm assuming you mean how I got _Pyrus Titanium Dragonoid_, right? Um, I think I found it in a trash heap back in Satellite about 17 years ago," I said.

"Impossible, that card belonged to a friend of mine up until three years ago," Jack said.

"I'm absolutely certain that I found this card 17 years ago, along with the cards in one of my decks," I said, holding out the Bakugan one. Yusei looked at it with disbelief.

"All of these cards belonged to her, every last one of them," Yusei muttered. Jack slammed me against the wall again.

"Why do you have a perfect copy, down to the rarest card, of my old friend's deck?" he asked, also raising his voice.

_Time to come out with it hard,_ I thought. "I didn't copy anyone's deck. Oh, and I'm pretty sure your next question is 'Who are you?'" I said, sighing. "My name isn't Silver, as you've probably found out already. My name is Sky. Yes, my name is Sky Fudo and I'm not dead!" I continued.

Both Jack and Yusei were stunned to silence. I lowered my head. "Yusei, Jack, I'm sorry I made you guys think I was dead for three years," I said. "There-there was something after me. I-It said if I didn't leave it would kill me. Not just me, but also you Yusei," I said.

"I couldn't stay in Satellite, but if I just ran to another part there was a chance you could find me. I didn't know what to do. And then I had a vision. I knew that what happened on the cliff was going to happen three days before," I continued.

"What happened was that I had lost consciousness. For some reason when that happens, my pulse gets too weak for a person to detect. Again Yusei, I'm really sorry," I finished.

The two young men, specifically Yusei, were both shocked at what I said. "So there was something after you in Satellite and it led to you pretty much faking your death?" asked Jack.

"That about wraps it up in a nutshell," I said. I glanced over at Yusei, who was actually crying. I assumed they were tears of joy like I had over Goodwin returning my deck.

"You don't need to cry Yusei," I said. Reaching forward, I wiped away the tears. "Do you accept my apology?" I asked.

"I-I do Sky," Yusei muttered. And then he embraced me. After a few minutes he let go.

"I think it's time for my next match," Yusei said.

"Good luck then. Also, I'm going back to Satellite. I think Crow deserves to know that I'm alive," I said.

"He does. Well, I guess I'll see you later," Yusei said, dashing out of the room. Jack followed him after giving me one last look.

_That was easier than I thought it would be,_ I thought.

_It's always easier to tell the truth_, Reshiram said.

_Yes it is,_ I agreed.

_Why don't you go to your friend in Satellite now?_ asked Reshiram.

_Good idea_, I replied, racing to where I had stored my Duel Runner. "I play the Spell _Teleport._ Take me to Satellite," I said.

A light flashed, and I was in the junkyard of Satellite. "Haven't been here in a long time," I said to myself. Then I heard someone shouting and banging on something from behind one of the trash mounds.

Curious, I made my way around the mound and found a gigantic crate sitting there. "Can anyone hear me?" came a voice from inside. "Let us out of here!" another said.

"Erm, I'll try to help," I called to the people inside the crate. I examined the lock keeping the trailer shut. It was one of those fancy electronic ones. Thankfully, Sydney had taught me that most electronic locks give when they are shocked. I had also bought a very powerful shock pen after that.

I dug through my bag until I found the pen and gave the lock a good shock. It wasn't strong, so it fell apart. "Okay, it's open," I said. The door flew open, whacking me in the face, and four people came out of it.

"I told you someone would hear us," the youngest one said.

"I'm just glad we're out of that crate," another said.

"Can we go get some food now?" the largest one asked.

The fourth one was currently trying to hug the ground. "What're you doing Nervin?" the youngest asked.

"I, er, have claustrophobia," Nervin, the one trying to hug the ground replied.

I walked off because the four weren't paying me any attention. Just as I was going to get my Duel Runner the youngest one said "Hey, we never thanked you for rescuing us." He noticed my Duel Runner. "Cool Runner. I wonder how Yusei is doing," he said.

_These four know Yusei?_ I thought. "I'm looking for someone that goes by the name of Crow. Do you think you can show me where he is?" I asked.

"Oh yeah, we're good friends with Crow," the youngest one said.

"Shut it Rally, for all we now she could be a murderer," the one in the bandana said.

"Come on Blitz, she freed us from that crate. She has to be a kind person," Rally, the youngest, said.

"I'm still hungry!" whined the big guy.

"I might have something," I said, digging through my bag. I found an energy bar, still in its wrapping. "Will this work?" I asked.

"Yeah!" the guy said. He then proceeded to eat the bar, wrapping included.

"Wait a minute, you're supposed to take the wrapper off first," I said.

"Wha fwas fat?" the guy said, already having stuffed the bar in his mouth.

"Oh, never mind. Could you take me to see Crow now?" I asked.

"Come on, his place is pretty far from here," said Rally. Before we left, a semi-broken TV turned on. It was showing Yusei and Jack's duel.

"Hey look it's Yusei!" exclaimed the big guy.

"Sweet, we can still watch him duel," said Blitz.

"Pound Jack to the ground!" shouted Rally.

"That traitor deserves a good beating," Nervin said.

_They must not be on good terms with Jack_, I thought. Suddenly the TV decided it had enough and shut off in the middle of the duel.

"Work you stupid thing! I want to see who wins!" Blitz shouted, kicking the TV.

"That's not how you make a TV work," I said. I realized I still had my shock pen out and jabbed it into the power source of the TV. It turned back on after a few good shocks.

"We have our winner folks!" MC was saying. "I give you the new champion, Satellite's Shooting Star, Yusei Fudo!"

"Aw, we missed the end of the duel," said Rally.

"Hey, can you take me to see Crow now?" I asked.

"I guess so," Blitz said. The five of us left the junkyard after I hid my Duel Runner. I didn't want Sector Security or some other person finding it. After an hour of walking we reached Crow's place. _This is it_, I thought.

**XXX**

Me: And that's the chapter.

Yusei: What's up with the shock pen and Tank eating a wrapped granola bar?

Me: A result of watching ICarly too much and a bit of boredom.

Sky: When you're bored it's never good for us.

Nervin: Why'd you have me hug the ground?

Me: Does it really matter? I get these really random ideas that I have to fit into something.

Nervin: And that had to include me embarrassing myself?

Me: I think it was funny. Anywho, please review. Maybe I'll update faster…


	21. Chapter 21: Back in Action

Me: I'm in a really good mood today!

Sky: Do you mean that literally or sarcastically?

Me: Literally. I danced with a cow last night and my mom made me laugh so hard I fell to the floor twice!

Yusei: You danced with a cow…

Me: A guy in a cow costume who works for Chick-Fil-A came into my dance class for no apparent reason.

Yusei: That makes more sense.

Sky: Aren't you supposed to be adding a chapter?

Me: Oh yeah! That proves my lack of attention span yet again. I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5ds, but I do own Sky.

Sky: You have a lousy attention span?

Me: Later!

Chapter 21

"Hey Crow, are you here?" Rally asked. Suddenly a bunch of young children run out from random places.

"Where have you guys been?" one of the kids asked.

"Some goons stuck us in a crate. This woman helped us get out and she wants to see Crow," Tank said.

"Crow's not here. He went to raid Sector Security HQ again," another kid said. _Raiding Sector Security? Crow certainly has been making a name for himself_, I thought.

"How long until he comes back?" Blitz asked.

"Crow left about five minutes ago," said one of the kids. "And his raids usually last a few hours. You'll have to wait."

"Do any of you kids have a deck?" I asked. "Dueling would pass the time pretty fast."

"I do!" exclaimed a girl. "My name is Hikari. Will you duel me?" she asked.

"Sure," I said. The girl ran inside to get something and came back out with a Duel Disk. It was definitely hand-crafted by Crow because there were some black streaks in it.

"You can go first," I said. **Hikari's Life Points: 4000, Sky's Life Points: 4000**

"It's my turn, draw!" Hikari said. "First I play the Field Spell _Luminous Spark_!" All around us bright flashes would appear at random times. "Now I Summon _Fairy Archer (ATK 1400, DEF 600)_ in Attack position. Due to the Field Spell, she gains 500 Attack Points," Hikari continued.

_Fairy Archer ATK 1900, DEF 200_. "_Fairy Archer's _effect activates, taking away 400 of your Life Points for each LIGHT monster I control," Hikari said. **Sky's Life Points: 3600**

"I place one card face-down to end my turn," Hikari finished.

"My move, I draw!" I started. "Perfect, I Summon _Celestial Knight-Venus (ATK 1700, DEF 1000)_ to the field in Attack position. Since she is a LIGHT monster as well, my knight gains your Field Spell's effect," I continued.

_Celestial Knight-Venus ATK 2200, DEF 600_. "_Celestial Knight-Venus_, attack _Fairy Archer_! _Lover's Strike_!" I shouted. _With pleasure mistress,_ my monster said.

"I play the Trap _Mirror Force_ which destroys your monsters that are in Attack position," Hikari countered.

"Very good, but now that a 'Celestial' monster was destroyed, I can Special Summon _Celestial Priestess (ATK ?, DEF ?)_ in Attack position," I said. "Her Attack and Defense points are equal to the number of cards in my hand times 500," I continued. "She also gains your Field Spell's effect."

_Celestial Priestess ATK 3000_, _DEF 2100_. "Lucky for you, _Celestial Priestess _can't attack the turn she is Special Summoned," I said. "I end my turn with a face-down, which does decrease her power."

_Celestial Priestess ATK 2500, DEF 1600._ "Well then it's my turn!" Hikari said. "Alright, I Summon _Gellenduo (ATK 1700, DEF 0)_ in Defense mode and switch _Fairy Archer_ to Defense. I also activate the Spell _Swords of Revealing Light_, so you can't attack for three turns. Before I end my turn, I play _Fairy Archer's_ ability," Hikari continued.

**Sky's Life Points: 2800** "Well then it's my turn!" I shouted. _I can't do much with that Spell card in play_, I thought. "I Summon the Tuner _Celestial Knight-Earth (ATK 1900, DEF 1000)_ in Attack mode!" I said.

_Celestial Knight-Earth ATK 2400, DEF 600._ "Next up I'll play my own _Swords of Revealing Light_ and end my turn," I finished. _Celestial Priestess ATK 1500, DEF 600)_.

"Why didn't you Synchro Summon?" Hikari asked as she drew her card.

"I'm waiting for the right card," I replied.

"Okay, but I release my _Gellenduo_ in order to Tribute Summon _Neo-Parshath, the Sky Paladin (ATK 2300, DEF 2000)_!" Hikari said. "I also play _Fairy Archer's _effect. That ends my turn."

**Sky's Life Points: 2000 **"My move then," I said. "Nothing good, so I end my turn."

Hikari just played _Fairy Archer's _ability. **Sky's Life Points: 1200** On my turn, I couldn't do anything either, but that was time up for Hikari's _Swords of Revealing Light_.

As my _Swords of Revealing Light_ was still active, Hikari just played the Archer's ability. **Sky's Life Points: 400** Hikari's friends started cheering her on.

"Alright Hikari, one more turn and this duel is yours!" one said.

"Come on Hikari, you still have all your Life Points and this woman barely has any! Take her down!" another said.

My card was destroyed as the girl ended her turn. "It's my turn!" I exclaimed as I drew my card. A small jolt of pain went through my right eye as I noticed it was _Titanium Burst_.

"I have the card I want! I Tune my Level 4 _Celestial Knight-Earth _with my Level 4 _Celestial Priestess_! _Awaken the searing flames that sleep at the Earth's core! _Synchro Summon! Burn, _Pyrus Titanium Dragonoid (ATK 3000, DEF 2500)!_" I shouted.

_Do I get to fight mistress?_ _Pyrus Titanium Dragonoid _asked. "Not today, I activate the Spell _Titanium Burst_! This card, by releasing _Pyrus Titanium Dragonoid_ and sending my hand to the Graveyard, inflicts damage equal to the cards that were in my hand times 1000," I said.

**Hikari's Life Points: 0** The young girl falls to her knees and starts crying. "Hey Hikari, you shouldn't cry when you lose. You put up a great fight, and I probably would have lost had I not drawn _Titanium Burst_," I said. "Your deck is really good too, I bet with a little more training you could even be able to defeat people in the City," I added.

Hikari sniffed and wiped her tears away. "You really think so?" she asked.

"Without a doubt," I replied. Then sounds of a Duel Runner are heard.

"Crow's back!" the children exclaimed. As the ginger stops his Runner he is bombarded by the kids.

"Did you get us cards?" one asked.

"Yep!" Crow said, pulling some decks out of a bag. He handed one to each of the children except Hikari, since she already had one.

The four that received decks run up to me and ask if I'll duel them. "I never back down from a challenge!" I said. I proceeded to duel Kokoro, Taiga, and Daichi. Because Crow was there, I was trying not to use _Pyrus Titanium Dragonoid_, resulting in both Kokoro and Daichi defeating me. Then it was Ginga's turn.

**XXX**

Ginga had 2400 Life Points left, two face-down cards and a face-up _Spirit Reaper_ in Defense mode. I had 1700 Life Points left, one face-down, four cards in my hand, and both _Celestial Knight-Mars_ and _Celestial Knight-Saturn_ in Attack mode. Ginga just finished his turn.

"It's my turn, I draw!" I yelled. Like before, a small jolt of pain shot through my eye. _My deck really wants me to play this card,_ I thought.

_Why don't you?_ Reshiram asked. _You came here to show your friend that you're alive_.

I paused, and smiled. "That is true," I said. "Alright, I Summon the Tuner _Celestial Knight-Uranus (ATK 1500, DEF 1000)_ in Attack position!" I continued. A knight in pale blue armor joined the other two clad in red and yellow.

"Now I Tune my Level 4 _Celestial Knight-Uranus_ with my Level 4 _Celestial Knight-Saturn! Awaken the searing flames that sleep at the Earth's core! _Synchro Summon! Burn_, Pyrus Titanium Dragonoid!_" I shouted.

I glanced at Crow and saw recognition and shock in his eyes. "I play the Spell_ Titanium Burst_, and I'm pretty sure you know what it does," I said. **Ginga's Life Points: 0**

"That was awesome!" Ginga said, even though he lost. Then Crow overcame his shock.

"Who are you and how did you get that card?" he asked.

"Wow, you came out with both questions faster than Jack did," I said. "I found the card in a trash heap 17 years ago and you already know my name," I continued.

So then I told Crow the same thing I'd told Yusei and Jack. "Do you forgive me Crow?" I asked.

"I guess so," Crow said. "But that doesn't mean you're off the hook for making us think you were dead for three years."

"Would you like to duel then?" I asked.

"Heh, you still know how to make me happy," Crow said. "Alright, I'll duel you."

**XXX**

Me: There! Now about that lack of attention span… *Whispers into Sky's ear*

Sky: *Starts laughing uncontrollably* You set fire to Mac-and-Cheese?

Me: Yep. Our house still smells like it after three whole days.

Sky: Hey, who wins that duel?

Me: I'm too lazy to write it, so I'll let the viewers think about it.

Yusei: I'm guessing the next line is going to be 'Please review'.

Me: Hey! I guess, yeah, please review my story.


	22. Chapter 22: Mark of the Giant

Me: I hurt all over but I'm super happy!

Sky: Those two statements contradict each other. Why?

Me: I hurt from flipping off a bounce house like ten times. I'm happy because flipping off the bounce house was fun and this one reviewer that I only know as lovelydragon has reviewed three times!

Crow: Good for you. *Glares at me*

Me: Erm, I think I'll just start the chapter. I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5ds or anything. Also, I'm trying present tense in this chapter. I might use it the rest of the story if I like it…

Chapter 22

"My turn!" Kokoro exclaims.

"Nu-uh, it's my turn!" Daichi says. I had materialized _Pyrus Titanium Dragonoid_ and letting the children ride him.

_Those kids love flying,_ _Celestial Priestess_ says. "Probably as much as I loved it when I learned how to," I whisper, as not to scare the children. They couldn't see the Duel Spirits.

"You've all had a turn and I'm getting tired," I say, interrupting the quarreling kids. "Plus it's almost your bedtimes," I add.

"But Crow hasn't come back yet," complains Taiga. Crow had left on one of his raids an hour ago.

"Yeah, we aren't going to bed until he comes back," Ginga adds. Then five people walk through the alley. Immediately I go into a defensive position, but it was just Rally, Tank, Nervin, and Blitz along with someone else.

"Who's your friend?" I ask, looking at the other person.

"This is Blister, one of Yusei's friends from the City," Nervin replies.

"Any friend of Yusei is a friend of mine," I say. "Name's Sky, you might have seen me in the Fortune Cup as Silver," I add.

"You mean you're one of the two that fell into that weird trance during the recreational match?" Blister asks.

"Uh, I guess so," I reply. _I doubt you would believe the truth,_ I think.

That ends our introduction, as Yusei and Crow pull around the corner on their Duel Runners. As the two stop, all of the kids run over to Yusei.

"Hey Yusei," I say after the kids stopped trying to get Yusei to duel them. "Why'd you come back?" I ask.

"I'll tell you after these kids go to bed," Yusei replies.

"Crow has to tell a story first," Kokoro says.

"Yeah, and he has to do it with the voices!" Hikari adds. I snickered at that. Last night I overheard Crow telling a story using 'the voices' and I nearly died of laughter.

"Okay, I'll tell a story but I'm not using the voices," Crow says. "Aw," the kids whine. Crow remains unchanged and he tells the story of Daedalus Bridge. I smile as he tells it. Even though it wasn't really a story.

"There, the story's done," Crow says. "Now you five go get some sleep." Reluctantly the kids leave the small fire.

"So Yusei, what's the reason you came back to Satellite?" I ask again.

"It's because of this," Yusei says, taking off his glove. One of the Marks of the Dragon, the Tail, was imprinted on his arm.

"So Goodwin was right, you are a Signer," I mutter.

"You know about the Crimson Dragon?" Yusei asks.

"Oh yeah, it used to be my favorite bedtime story," I reply. "So you've returned because you have to fight the Dark Signers?"

"Pretty much. I had a duel with one of their drones a week ago," Yusei says. "In the duel the damage was real," he adds.

"Hey, can you explain this to people who don't know about this Crimson Dragon?" Crow asks. So Yusei and I try to fill in our friends with the details. It was almost midnight by the time we finally settled down to sleep, which happened to be in sleeping bags Crow had taken from Sector Security.

Instead of sleeping, I climb up to the roof of Crow's hut and sit there, staring at the moon. After a few minutes I hear someone getting onto a Duel Runner.

I jump down from my perch and find that it is Yusei. "Bit late for a night ride," I say.

"I can't sleep," Yusei says. "There's too much on my mind."

Our conversation wakes Crow up. "What are you two doing?" the ginger asks.

"We're going on a night ride," I say. Waving my arm, I quickly say a spell that brings my Duel Runner next to me.

"That's just creepy," Crow comments. "Eh, do you mind if I come with you?" he asks.

Yusei shrugs, so the three of us board our Duel Runners and leave towards the other side of Satellite. When we were a good mile or two away from where we started, a card slices past Crow's face. "What the deck was that?" Crow asks.

I take a quick glance at the card. _Vorse Raider_ is partially stuck in the ground. "I know that card!" Yusei exclaims. Up at the top of a hill sat someone on a Duel Runner. The person starts laughing, almost evilly.

"Of course you know that card Yusei," a familiar voice says. The figure throws off his cloak, revealing that he is none other than Kalin Kessler. Kalin holds out his arm and the Mark of the Giant appears, not only on his arm but as purple fire on the ground.

"Kalin? You-you're a Dark Signer?" asks Yusei.

"Isn't it obvious?" Kalin asks. "It's time to duel Yusei!"

The purple flames separate Crow from the two of us, and Kalin rides over. "Why are you doing this?" I ask. "You were our friend."

"Once your friend, yes, but now your enemy!" Kalin shouts. "I'll take both of you on at the same time!"

"Yusei, we have to knock some sense into Kalin," I say.

"Okay, this'll be a two-on-one Turbo Duel, meaning I start with 8000 Life Points," Kalin says. "First one to the corner gets the first move."

The three of us line up and activate _Speed World_. "On your mark, get set, acceleration!" a computerized voice says. We all shoot off down the track.

Kalin tries to ram Yusei off the track, but Yusei manages to stay on it. While he was doing that, I manage to take the corner. "Alright then, the first move's mine!" I shout.

**Kalin's Life Points: 8000 S.C. 1, Yusei's Life Points: 4000 S.C. 1, Sky's Life Points: 4000 S.C. 1** "I Summon _Celestial Knight-Neptune (ATK 1400, DEF 1000)_ in Attack position. With two cards face-down I end my turn," I say.

A knight in dark blue armor appears next to me, the symbol of the Celestials on his breastplate. "Well then, it's my turn!" Kalin shouts. **Kalin S.C. 2, Yusei S.C. 2, Sky S.C. 2 **"I Summon _Infernity Beast (ATK 1600, DEF 1200)_ in Attack mode as well. I end my turn with a face-down."

"My move!" Yusei says. **Kalin S.C. 3, Yusei S.C. 3, Sky S.C. 3** "I Summon _Speed Warrior (ATK 900, DEF 400)_ in Attack mode! On the turn he's Summoned, _Speed Warrior's_ power is doubled!" he continues.

_Speed Warrior ATK 1800_. "Put that power to use _Speed Warrior! _Attack _Infernity Beast _with _Hypersonic Slash_!" Yusei says.

"You haven't changed a bit Yusei," Kalin says. "I activate the Continuous Trap _Depth Amulet_, so by discarding one card your attack is negated."

"I place two cards face-down to end my turn," Yusei says. _Speed Warrior ATK 900._

"Which means it's my turn!" I shout. **Kalin S.C. 4, Yusei S.C. 4, Sky S.C. 4** "I Summon _Celestial Defender (ATK 500, DEF 2000)_ in Defense mode," I continue. A man holding a silver shield appears next to my knight.

"Oh yes, when I control another 'Celestial' monster, _Celestial Knight-Neptune_ can attack my opponent directly," I add. Before I attack, an image of The Enforcers comes to my head.

"I-I end my turn," I say. _You had a clear shot,_ Reshiram says.

_His _Depth Amulet_ would have negated it anyways_, I think back.

_I think this goes deeper than a Trap card_, Reshiram says.

"Hmph, it's my turn," Kalin says, interrupting the conversation. **Kalin S.C. 5, Yusei S.C. 5, Sky S.C. 5** "I Summon _Infernity Archfiend (ATK 1800, DEF 1200)_ in Attack mode! _Infernity Beast_, why don't you show _Speed Warrior_ the way to the Graveyard," he continues.

_Infernity Beast's_ attack inflicts real damage, sending Yusei spinning off track. He luckily regains control of his Duel Runner. **Yusei's Life Points: 3300** "_Infernity Archfiend, _do the same to that _Celestial Knight-Neptune_," Kalin continues.

"Sorry Kalin, all attacks on a 'Celestial' monster go to _Celestial Defender_," I interrupt. _Celestial Defender _gets in front of the attack, sending the blast back towards Kalin. The Dark Signer doesn't even flinch.

**Kalin's Life Points: 7800** "Grr, I end my turn with a face-down," Kalin says. Suddenly I hear sounds of an approaching helicopter. I spare a glance and see Jack hanging on to the helicopter. "Hah, it seems that The Enforcers are all here!" Kalin laughs.

"Kalin, what happened to you?" Yusei asks.

"It's your move Yusei," Kalin says, ignoring the question.

"Fine then, I draw," Yusei says. **Kalin S.C. 6, Yusei S.C. 6, Sky S.C. 6 **"I Summon the Tuner _Junk Synchron (ATK 1300, DEF 500) _in Attack mode, and through its effect I can bring back _Speed Warrior_," he continues.

"Now I Tune my Level 3 _Junk Synchron _with my Level 2 _Speed Warrior. Gathering stars will call upon a new force! Become the path its light shines upon! _Synchro Summon! Show yourself_, Junk Warrior (ATK 2300, DEF 1800)_!" Yusei shouts.

Kalin smirks as the monster appears. "Well isn't that a sight for sore eyes," he says sarcastically.

**To be continued…**

Me: That is where I will end it. Oh, this works fine, just pretend Yusei never gets _Scrap-Iron Scarecrow _or _Speed Spell-Final Attack_.

Sky: How do you know that?

Me: I already have the next chapter and half of the one after that written…

Kalin: I can't believe I'm back in this thing.

Me: Well you _had_ to come back, being one of the Dark Signers.

Kalin: Hmph. Would people review so the next chapter gets up soon and I don't have to be here longer?

Me: What he said I guess. Thanks to anyone who does review and/or read this story!


	23. Chapter 23: Ccapac Apu

Me: Time to finish that duel!

Kalin: Good, then I can leave.

Me: Meh, I could care less.

Sky: Can you just get to the chapter?

Me: Sure! I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5ds or whatever, but I do own Sky and maybe her deck. Enjoy!

Chapter 23

"This card will be new then," Yusei says. "I play the Continuous Trap _Shard of Hope_! Now, when I inflict Battle Damage to my opponent, I can draw one card. If it is a Trap card, I can activate it."

"That depends on if you can inflict damage Yusei," Kalin says.

"_Junk Warrior, _attack _Infernity Beast_! _Scrap Fist!_" Yusei orders.

"It's too bad that I have to cut the attack short. _Depth Amulet_ negates it," Kalin interrupts.

_Is he going for a Handless Combo?_ I think. _The Kalin I remember would never do that_.

"I end my turn," Yusei finishes.

"It's my turn!" I shout. **Kalin S.C. 7, Yusei S.C. 7, Sky S.C. 7** "I Summon the Tuner _Celestial Knight-Uranus (ATK 1600, DEF 1000)_ in Attack mode. Now my Level 4 _Celestial Knight-Uranus_ gives my Level 3 _Celestial Knight-Neptune _a tune-up!" I continue.

The blue-green knight forms the green rings around the blue one. "_When night comes to a close, a lone light rises to expel the darkness!_ Synchro Summon! Arise, _Celestial Dragon-Sol (ATK 2700, DEF 1500)_!" I exclaim.

"Also, when _Celestial Knight-Uranus_ is sent to the Graveyard for a Synchro Summon of a 'Celestial' monster, it can return to the field in Defense mode," I add.

A bright orange dragon with brown eyes appears next to my Runner along with the blue-green knight returning. _Just say the word and that Dark Signer will wish he wasn't reborn_, _Celestial Dragon-Sol_ says.

"I activate my _Speed Spell-Sunrise Strike_, so by removing 3 of my Speed Counters when I have a face-up _Celestial Dragon-Sol_, you lose 2000 Life Points Kalin," I say.

A bright orange beam comes out of the Spell and strikes Kalin. He barely feels it, even though it sent his Runner off course. Easily, Kalin catches up to us. **Kalin's Life Points: 5800 S.C. 5,** **Sky S.C. 4**

"I end my turn with a face-down," I finish. I can hear Kalin laugh like a mad man.

"That didn't even dent my Life Points!" he says. "It's my turn!" **Kalin S.C. 6, Yusei S.C. 8, Sky S.C. 5** "I release both of my monsters in order to Tribute Summon _Dark Tuner-Nightmare Hand (ATK 0, DEF 0)_ in Attack mode, and through its effect Special Summoning _Infernity Dwarf_," Kalin continues.

"Now I Dark Tune my Negative Level 10 _Dark Tuner-Nightmare Hand_ with my Level 2 _Infernity Dwarf_._ When the curtain of darkness comes down, the eyes of the underworld will open. Swoop down, darkness! _Dark Synchro! Show yourself_, Hundred-Eyes Dragon (ATK 3000, DEF 2500)!_" Kalin shouts.

The dragon with many purple eyes on it appears next to Kalin. "_Hundred-Eyes Dragon,_ attack _Junk Warrior! Infinity Sight Stream!_" the Dark Signer shouts. "Oh yes, since my hand is at zero,_ Hundred-Eyes Dragon_ gains the effects of any and all DARK monsters in my Graveyard. _Infernity Beast's _effect prevents the activation of Spell and Trap cards when it attacks."

I see Yusei clench his fist; he must have something that he could have stopped the attack with. _Hundred-Eyes Dragon_ rears up and blasts _Junk Warrior_ along with Yusei. The Signer loses control of his Runner and flies into the purple fire. "Yusei!" I shout.

"I'm fine," comes the reply as Yusei maneuvers his way back onto the track. **Yusei's Life Points: 2600**

"I end my turn then," Kalin says.

"My turn!" Yusei shouts. **Kalin S.C. 7, Yusei S.C. 9, Sky S.C. 6 **"I Summon _Rockstone Warrior (ATK 1800, DEF1600) _in Defense mode. I set a card and end my turn." _Depth Amulet_ is also destroyed due to its effect. _**Author's Note-The card just set is Scrap-Iron Scarecrow**_

"My move," I say. **Kalin S.C. 8, Yusei S.C. 10, Sky S.C. 7** "Because I control a face-up 'Celestial' monster, I can Special Summon _Celestial Knight-Saturn (ATK 2000, DEF 1000)_ in Attack position. Now his effect activates, letting me add one card from my Graveyard to my hand," I say.

A knight in pale yellow armor appears brandishing a long sword. He waves the sword and _Speed Spell-Sunrise Strike_ returns to my hand. "I think I'll activate the _Speed Spell-Sunrise Strike_ that returned to my hand," I add.

**Kalin's Life Points: 3800 S.C. 6, Sky S.C. 4** "I'll also Tune my Level 4 _Celestial Knight-Uranus_ with my Level 4 _Celestial Knight-Saturn! Awaken the searing flames that sleep at the Earth's core! _Synchro Summon! Burn, _Pyrus Titanium Dragonoid (ATK 3000, DEF 2500)!_" I continue.

Kalin sees my monster and smirks. "You've finally brought out your old ace," he says. "Too bad it won't do you any good."

"I end my turn," I say. There wasn't any point in attacking.

"Good then, it's my turn," Kalin says. **Kalin S.C. 7, Yusei S.C. 11, Sky S.C. 5**"I play my _Speed Spell-Power Baton_! Now I can send one monster from my deck to the Grave and one face-up monster I control gains that monsters Attack points. I choose my _Infernity Destroyer_, so that means 2300 more points for my dragon."

_Hundred-Eyes Dragon ATK 5300._ "_Hundred-Eyes Dragon_, attack _Celestial Defender_! Oh yes, _Infernity Dwarf's_ effect lets my dragon inflict piercing damage," Kalin says.

_This is going to hurt,_ I think. The attack shoots straight through my monster and into me. My side felt like it was on fire. **Sky's Life Points: 600** "It's over for you, _Infernity Destroyer's _ability inflicts 800 points of damage when it destroys a monster in battle," Kalin adds.

A ghost image of _Infernity Destroyer_ appears and he tries to blast me. "I won't let it end here!" I shout, ignoring the pain in my side. "I play the Trap _Celestial Shield_, so by sending a 'Celestial' monster to the Graveyard I can negate any effect damage for the rest of the turn."

"Hmph, I end my turn," Kalin said. He must've wanted to get rid of me before he could get rid of Yusei. _Hundred-Eyes Dragon ATK 3000_.

"That means it's my draw!" Yusei says. **Kalin S.C. 8, Yusei S.C. 12, Sky S.C. 6** "I Summon the Tuner _Hyper Synchron (ATK 1600, DEF 800)_ in Attack mode! Now I Tune my Level 4 _Hyper Synchron_ with my Level 4 _Rockstone Warrior. Clustering wishes will become a new shining star! Become the path its light shines upon! _Synchro Summon! Take flight_, Stardust Dragon (ATK 2500, DEF 2000)!_"

"So the Signer Dragon is finally here," Kalin says. Then he laughs. "That just gives me more of a reason to win!"

"Well you're going to have to do it without that Dark Synchro, because _Hyper Synchron's _ability increases _Stardust Dragon's _power by 800," Yusei says. _Stardust Dragon ATK 3300._

"_Stardust Dragon, _attack _Hundred-Eyes Dragon_ with _Cosmic Flare!"_ Yusei orders. A stream of light strikes _Hundred-Eyes Dragon_, but it still remains after the attack.

**Kalin's Life Points: 3500 **"Oh, you were so close," Kalin says. "_Hundred-Eyes Dragon_ gains the effect of my _Infernity Guardian_, preventing its destruction."

"Yes, but you still take damage and because of that _Shard of Hope's_ effect activates," Yusei counters. He draws the card, a Trap _Miracle Locus_. "Since it's a Trap, by destroying _Shard of Hope_ I can activate the Trap _Miracle Locus_! You have to draw one card, and _Stardust Dragon _gains 1000 Attack points and the ability to attack once more."

Kalin adds the card to his hand, frowning. _Now his Handless Combo doesn't work_, I think with joy. _Stardust Dragon ATK 4300_. "Attack once more _Stardust Dragon_!" Yusei declares. Again _Hundred-Eyes Dragon _is attacked, and this time it is destroyed.

**Kalin's Life Points: 2200, S.C. 7** "Now because I destroyed a monster in battle, I can activate another Trap known as _Synchro Destructor_," Yusei continues. "You take damage equal to half the destroyed monster's Attack points, and if the monster was a Synchro Monster, the damage is inflicted once again."

_If this hits it's game over for Kalin,_ I think. "Oh no, I'm done for!" Kalin says sarcastically. "But seriously, I activate my own Trap _Damage Translation_, which halves all damage I take this turn."

**Kalin's Life Points: 700 S.C. 6** "Also, because you destroyed my _Hundred-Eyes Dragon_ was destroyed, I can add one card from my deck to my hand," Kalin adds. As the card adds to his hand, a shiver runs up my spine.

_Could he have added his Earthbound Immortal_? I think.

_So you felt that too?_ asks Reshiram. _I think you are right._

"I end my turn," Yusei says. Two _Ghost Tokens_ appear next to Kalin due to the after effect of _Damage Translation_.

"It's my turn!" I shout. **Kalin S.C. 7, Sky S.C. 7** Before I do anything else, another image of my old Duel Gang popped into my head. This time it was us celebrating after defeating Team Ninja. "I end my turn."

_You did it again,_ Reshiram comments. _You are afraid of harming your old friend._

_ You're right…_ I think back at her.

"It's my turn then," Kalin says. **Kalin S.C 8, Sky S.C. 8** My former friend grins like a madman. "Thanks to you not attacking Sky, it'll be the end of you both! I release my two tokens in order to bring forth the ultimate destruction!" Kalin yells.

Suddenly many people cloaked in black appear in the flames. They are absorbed into a heart-shaped rock. "I sacrifice all these souls to you... Advent! _Earthbound Immortal Ccapac Apu (ATK 3000, DEF 2500)_!" Kalin says.

The heart-stone explodes, and a giant appears. And I literally mean a giant; the Immortal had to be at least 80 feet tall! "_Earthbound Immortal Ccapac Apu_ can attack my opponent directly, even if there's a monster on the field," Kalin says.

"_Earthbound Immortal Ccapac Apu,_ pound that pathetic Signer into the Netherworld!" Kalin shouts. The giant starts to attack Yusei. _Stardust Dragon_ tries to block it, but goes straight through the hand.

"I play the Trap _Scrap-Iron Scarecrow-_" Yusei starts, but the Trap remains face-down.

"_Ccapac Apu_ isn't affected by Spell or Trap cards," Kalin said. "Looks like you still have a one-way ticket to the Netherworld."

_I won't let something like that happen,_ I think. I quickly say the spell that would activate my necklace. _I hope Yusei still has it._

Sure enough, I see a flash of light from Yusei's pocket, which makes Yusei's Runner give out. That's good because it forced the duel to end without a winner. That's bad because Yusei was sent flying, and I'm certain I saw a sharp rock puncture his abdomen. A rock also smashes my Duel Disk.

I quickly bring my Runner to a stop, running over to the fallen Signer. Kalin also stops his. "Hmph, saved by your Runner," Kalin says. "Now you can feel the pain I felt, Yusei." Kalin rides away after that, laughing.

Crow, along with Rally and the others, come running down a hill. "Are you alright Yusei?" Crow asks.

Yusei grunts. "My gut…" he moans. I roll Yusei over. Sure enough there's a rock jutting out.

"He needs to get to Martha's place," Crow says.

"I remember the way," I say. "My Runner is faster than yours and right now time can't be wasted." _I wish my Duel Disk wasn't broken_, I think. Crow lifts Yusei onto my Runner.

"Hang in there buddy," Crow says as I speed off. He follows me on his own Runner, but I quickly lose sight of him. After what seemed like an eternity, I arrive at the orphanage.

I race up to the door and start banging on it. Two minutes later Martha opens the door. "It's the middle of the night," she says. "This better be good."

"It's not," I say, pointing at my Runner. Martha sees Yusei, the later having lost consciousness halfway through the trip.

"Oh dear," Martha says. Then she calls for some other kids to help. Yusei is carried to a room and I see a doctor enter it. I wait in the hallway as Martha helps the doctor. Crow and the others arrive later and all is silent.

**XXX**

Me: That's the chapter.

Kalin: I'm out of here then! *Bolts out the door*

Sky: Okay then. Say, wasn't Crow here?

Me: Yes.

*Noises heard from the closet*

Yusei: He's in the closet?

Me: He tried to kill me again! *Quickly stuffs some paper into a desk*

Sky: He read something he shouldn't have, right?

Me: Maybe. Okay then, please review. See you later!


	24. Chapter 24: Recovery

Me: I'm back again!

Sky: Good, I seriously want to know what happens next.

Me: But you already know. I saw you with my notebook reading ahead.

Sky: Meh, it's kind of cooler reading it typed than written down.

Yusei: That makes a difference how?

Sky: There aren't any spelling errors. Usually.

Me: Hey, I try! I'm only in seventh grade; do you expect me to be perfect?

Sky: No, but you're in seventh grade?

Me: Yes, I just inherited the freakishly tall gene. *Sigh* I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5ds but I do own Sky and maybe her cards. Hands off of them!

Chapter 24

Hours later, Martha and the doctor walk out. "Is he going to be fine?" Crow instantly asks.

"He should be fine after a few days of rest," the doctor replies. "Although you should keep him away from underground duels."

I let go of the breath I had been holding. Inside my head I'm jumping for joy. _I'm glad my necklace's effect didn't do any permanent damage,_ I think.

_Maybe the necklace didn't, but that duel certainly did_, Reshiram says. _You also took a toll from it._

As she said that, my side burst into pain. I already tried healing it, but for some reason I couldn't. "Are you okay Sky?" Martha asks. I must have flinched when my side hurt.

"Not exactly; I took a big hit in that duel too. My side hurts like crazy," I reply. I learned my lesson the hard way-never lie to Martha. She finds out and… I don't even want to talk about it.

I lift up the bottom of my shirt, and nearly throw up. My side was a disgusting purple-red color. "That looks like a very bad burn," the doctor said. He pokes the 'burn' and I wince. Inside my head was where I screamed.

"Definitely a burn," the doctor says. "Would you mind coming with me?" he asks, leading me into the room Yusei is in.

The doctor pulls out some sort of liquid. "This is going to hurt a little, but it's going to clean your injury," the doctor says. He pours some of the stuff on the burn.

"Ow!" I shout. The stuff makes my side hurt even worse, and I jump up.

"Hold still!" the doctor says. He wipes the stuff with a towel, only adding to the pain. I look at my burn again and see the purple-ish tint is gone.

Slowly the doctor wraps some bandages around my side. "This has to stay on for two weeks," he says. "Then you should put some of this ointment on it and put new bandages on for another two weeks." He hands me a small tube of the ointment.

"Uh, thanks," I say. I glance at Yusei, whom is sleeping. Peacefully, I hope. "Do you know where I can sleep?" I ask.

"Why don't you ask Martha?" the doctor asks in return. I ask her and find that I have to sleep on the couch. I don't mind at all and quickly fall asleep.

The next morning I'm awoken by a small boy. "Martha told me to come get you for breakfast," he says. I slide off of the couch, realizing I hadn't changed before falling asleep.

"Thanks kid," I say. The boy smiles and leads me to the kitchen. _This kid seems to be extremely helpful, _I think.

He pulls me into the kitchen, where only Yusei isn't there. I don't think about it when Martha plops a bowl of cereal in front of me. I quickly eat it. "Is Yusei any better?" I ask once I'm done.

"He's awake actually," Martha replies. "I gave him his food in bed so that his injury can heal." _So mine isn't as important? _I think.

I shrug and go to see Yusei. "Hey Yusei, you feeling okay?" I ask.

"Not really, my gut still hurts," he replies. He says that as a shot of pain runs through my side.

"You aren't the only one the duel injured," I say. "_Hundred-Eyes Dragon's _attack severely burned my side."

"Why would Kalin do something like that?" Yusei asks. I'm at a loss for words. Yusei clenches the bed sheets. "I think it's my fault," my brother says.

"Your fault for Kalin going crazy?" I ask. Yusei nods.

"After your supposed death, Jack and Crow left Team Satisfaction. I stayed to make sure Kalin wouldn't do anything crazy, but I couldn't stop everything," Yusei says. "Three days later Kalin snuck a few bombs into some confiscated Duel Disks. He was chased by a few Securities, and managed to lose all but one of them. The one he didn't lose… I don't know if he severely injured the officer or if he killed him."

"Kalin went _that_ crazy?" I ask in disbelief.

"Yes, but it doesn't stop there," Yusei replies. "Later Jack and Crow returned, trying to stop Kalin. We were surrounded by Sector Securities at our hideout, and they literally started bombing the place to get us out. I told Jack and Crow to take Kalin and hide in the bowling alley. I was going to turn myself in as the leader of Team Satisfaction. Unfortunately, one of the Securities recognized Kalin as the leader, and Kalin saw me standing next to the commanding officer, who just happened to be patting me on the back."

"That's just really bad timing," I say.

"What's even worse is that Kalin thought I had turned him in. He called me a traitor, but before I could tell him the truth Kalin was locked in the patrol car," Yusei says. "We all tried to visit him, but the Securities said that Kalin had died."

"He died and Ccapac Apu brought him back," I say. "No wonder he tried to kill us. In his eyes it's your fault for him going to the Facility and it might be my fault for the team splitting up."

"I think you're right," Yusei says. "Um, is my Duel Runner okay?" he asks.

"I haven't seen it, although your four friends from the subway brought it halfway across Satellite," I say. "They also lost the clothes they had to a Duel Gang."

"I need to work on my Runner," Yusei says. He tries to get out of bed, but his gut said otherwise.

"Yusei, I'll go work on your Runner," I say. "My Duel Disk needs to be fixed as well, so I'll be killing two birds with one stone."

"Please be careful with my Runner," Yusei says as I leave the room. I find that his Duel Runner is outside and that most of the frame was seriously dented.

"Looks like I've got some work cut out for me," I say. I set to work fixing the Runner, and I'm halfway finished when Blitz runs out.

"Hey! That's not yours! You shouldn't touch it!" he shouts. I shrug and continue working.

"I told Yusei that I was going to fix his Runner," I say. I then yank a large rock that managed to jam itself into the axle of the front wheel. "That would have caused some major damage," I say to myself.

Blitz leaves, muttering something. _What's his problem?_ I think. _First he thought I was some murderer and now he doesn't want me working on the Runner?_

_Technically you _are_ a murderer,_ Reshiram says. _Remember that time with the leader of Team Non-Securities?_

_ I was defending my brother!_ I think back. _I didn't mean to kill someone…_

_ I know you didn't,_ Reshiram says. My side starts hurting again. _That duel took a lot out of you_, Reshiram says.

_It'll heal in time,_ I think back. _Let me work on my brother's Duel Runner now._ Reshiram is silent as I continue m y work. After about an hour, the boy that had told me breakfast was ready comes outside.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" he asks.

"Could you get me something to drink?" I ask. The kid runs inside and brings me a water bottle. "Thank you," I say before I take a long sip from the bottle.

"Is that all you want?" the kid asks.

"I'm pretty sure," I reply. The kid leaves and I continue working on Yusei's Runner. Three hours later I'm done, and it takes me only half an hour to fix my Duel Disk.

My stomach rumbles loudly. *Insert face-palm* "I forgot to eat lunch," I say to myself. Thankfully dinner is done, so my hunger is satisfied. _I forgot how good Martha can cook,_ I think.

"Have you finished fixing Yusei's Runner?" Rally asks. I nod and Rally seems happy. "That Runner has our feelings in it," Rally says. "We helped Yusei build it after the first was stolen."

"You did a good job then," I say. Building a Duel Runner out of scrap was impressive, especially since it had a very good speed. The only newer part in it was the acceleration chip.

"Hey Martha, do you still have that old tree?" I ask.

"It's still back there, proud and stubborn as always," Martha replies.

"I'll be in the tree then," I say, leaving the room. When I still lived here, I would sometimes go rest in the branches of the old tree. Sometimes a bird our two would appear, and I had a habit of sketching them. Most of the time I just went to the tree to get my mind off of things, and that's exactly what I intended to do.

I settle into my spot and quickly fall asleep somehow. While I was asleep, I had another one of my visions.

**XXX**

_The Mark of the Giant disappears as Kalin's Life Point meter hits zero. Yusei runs over to the fallen duelist. "I'm sorry Yusei," Kalin says. _

"_I forgive you Kalin," Yusei says. "Everything is going to be alright."_

"_Not for me," Kalin says. "Now that I've lost, the Netherworld calls me. Please Yusei; don't do something stupid like lose to the Dark Signers, okay?"_

"_Kalin wait!" Yusei shouts as Kalin turns into dust. Yusei clenches his fist. "I won't lose Kalin," he says. A few tears fall to the ground, and I see no more._

**XXX**

I open my eyes. "Kalin," I whisper into the small breeze. _I know that Yusei will win, but that also means Kalin will disappear_, I think. _That vision did nothing good for me_.

_Mistress, the Spirit World is calling_, _Celestial Priestess _says.

"Can I tell my brother where I'm going first?" I ask.

_You have one minute,_ replies _Celestial Knight-Mars. At that point the portal will open._

I jump down from the tree and rush inside. Yusei is sitting on the couch surrounded by the orphans that Martha takes care of. "Yusei, I'm leaving," I say.

"Why? And also where?" he asks.

"The Spirit World is calling. I have to go in order to free it from the darkness," I say.

"What's the Spirit World?" Crow asks. He walks in behind me.

"A place where Duel Spirits live," I say. "And it is in danger." I begin to see flashes of light. _Hold on mistress,_ one of my Duel Spirits says.

"I'll be back soon!" I say as Martha's house fades. The light deposits me next to a large tree. "Guess I'll just wait for Luna to come," I say to myself.

**XXX**

Me: And that's where I end it.

Sky: It's kind of a cliffhanger it you look at it in a way.

Me: *Shrugs* I guess that's just how it turned out.

Yusei: So Luna will be back in the next chapter?

Me: Dang it, why must you give away _everything_?

Sky: We don't give away everything. If we did, you would probably have already been killed by several angry mobs.

Me: I can't help having ideas that turn into Fanfictions!

Yusei: What do you mean?

Me: *Clamps a hand over Sky's mouth* You don't need to know! Anywho, please review or something. Thanks to all who have reviewed too!


	25. Chapter 25: Saving the Spirit World

Me: I'm a really happy person!

Yusei: Why's that?

Me: I have two people that have constantly updated for *checks something* three chapters!

Sky: That's good news! Do they like me?

Me: One of them said so in their first review.

Sky: Awesome!

Me: I know! Okay then, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5ds and whatnot, but I do own Sky and her deck. Please don't try to do anything with them if you don't have my permission.

Sky: Have people tried using me in their stories?

Me: I don't know, but I'm being careful. On with the chapter!

Chapter 25

I've been in the Spirit World for almost a week now. I ventured out of the forest once to visit a town I saw. There were strange looking staffs that were causing everything to go in reverse. I would have stayed longer, but these monkey guys tried to capture me. I've stayed in the forest since.

"I wonder when Luna will come," I say out loud. From my deck, Celestial Priestess appears next to me.

"She will come when the Spirit World calls her," Celestial Priestess says.

At that moment we hide behind a tree as four of the monkey guys run past. They stop right in front of the tree I'm behind. "Little girl run this way. Old man follow," the monkey says.

They race off in pursuit of the 'little girl and old man'. "That was close," I say. "Would you mind staying in my deck, Celestial Priestess?" I ask.

"Not at all mistress," she says, returning to my deck. _I wonder, could that little girl be Luna?_ I think. Just to be sure, I race off after the monkeys. Sure enough, Luna and some little boy are trapped in a circle of monkeys.

_Time to cause a distraction,_ I think. I pull out a Spell card, _Celestial Bow,_ which becomes real. I notch an arrow. Letting it fly, the arrow hits a tree right next to one of the monkeys. I shoot another one into the ground, just barely missing another. I wasn't trying to hit them, just scare them off.

My strategy works, as all four turn tail and flee. I walk into the open and return the bow to its normal form as a card. "You two okay?" I ask.

"Um, I-I think so," the little boy says.

"What are you doing here Silver?" Luna asks.

"First off, my name is Sky," I say. "I've been waiting for you so that we can free Ancient Fairy Dragon."

"We have to find Regulus first," says the little boy. "He should be around here somewhere." Behind the boy a white lion appears and growls.

The boy turns around. "Tha-That would be Regulus," the boy says.

"Regulus, please calm down," Luna says. "We are here to help you free Ancient Fairy Dragon and save the Spirit World. See, I'm a Signer." Luna rolls up her sleeve, revealing her Mark.

"I thought so," Regulus says. "I will stop you from harming this world!" Regulus pounces on Luna, but she jumps out of the way.

"You've got it wrong, we want to help!" I say. Regulus swipes a claw at me and I duck, the claw barely missing.

"Be gone from here!" Regulus shouts. As he does, I notice one of the staffs that had been around the town strapped to his leg.

"No need to tell me twice," the little boy says. He runs into the forest, and Luna and I follow him. Regulus doesn't follow us, but we still put a good distance between us.

"Did anyone else notice that Regulus was hearing the opposite of what we were saying?" I ask.

"I told you that Regulus wasn't in the right mind," the boy says.

"Well there wasn't a point in not trying," Luna says. The two start arguing.

"Hey!" I shout, breaking up the two. "Well? Did you notice that?" I ask.

"I think it was that staff on his leg," Luna says. "Those staffs make everything go backwards."

Regulus appears again. "If he hears everything backwards," the little boy starts. "Hey Regulus, you're so stupid and weak that my housecat could take you on!" the boy shouts.

"Do you expect such flattery to work?" Regulus asks. Then he turns around, having heard something. We duck behind a fallen tree, after which four monkeys appear.

"You again?" Regulus asks. _Are they the ones that put that staff on Regulus' leg?_ I think.

"We get you now," one of the monkeys says. "Zeman will be happy." The monkey then points his staff at Regulus.

"You twit!" another monkey says, knocking away the staff. "Minus Curse already on Regulus. You put more Minus, it turn Plus," he says. Regulus charges at the monkeys, whom separate and let Regulus bound off into the forest.

The monkeys chase after Regulus and we follow them. After a few minutes, the monkeys stop in a clearing. "He get away," one of the monkeys says.

"We find him, bring him to Zeman," another says. The four leave the clearing.

"They're going the wrong way," I say. I had seen which direction Regulus had gone. "Regulus went this way." I lead the boy and Luna in the right direction. Soon enough we catch up to Regulus.

The lion is standing on a fallen tree that had formed a bridge across a fast-flowing river. "I warned you to leave," Regulus says. I snatch one of the staffs from the base of a tree.

"The monkey said two Minuses make a Plus," I say. "That should free Regulus." I carefully walk onto the bridge, the little boy and Luna following me.

Regulus pounces on me as I cross the middle. I hold the staff up, and it collides with the one on Regulus' leg. There is a small explosion, and the tree breaks. The river's current easily grabs us. We are pulled downstream, and soon reach a waterfall.

As we begin falling down the waterfall, Celestial Dragon-Sol appears and catches us. My dragon deposits us on the riverbank. "Thanks Sol," I say.

_Don't mention it_, Sol says before returning to my deck. The little boy coughs up a large amount of water. Regulus stands up and shakes himself off.

"Thank you for freeing me from the Minus Curse," he says.

"Regulus, will you help us free Ancient Fairy Dragon?" Luna asks. Once again she holds out her arm so that Regulus can see the Mark of the Dragon. Regulus sees it for what it really is.

"Ah, young Signer, I have waited for the moment you would come to this world," Regulus says. "And you," Regulus says, looking at me. "Thank you for helping this young Signer find me."

"Torunka helped out too," Luna says. "Without him, those monkeys would have captured me back in that town."

Regulus murmurs a word of thanks to the little boy, Torunka apparently. "We must not waste time," Regulus says. "Ancient Fairy Dragon is trapped in a crag that resides in Zeman's castle. We must go there."

"But how are we supposed to sneak in?" Torunka asks.

"I have an idea!" I exclaim. I share it with my friends.

"That just might work," Luna says.

**XXX**

I tug the last piece of cloth over my face. "That should do it," I say. The Minus Staff from earlier is wrapped in cloth, making it look different. Torunka and Luna are both in the same type of disguises that I am in. We're posing as a family of traveling magicians.

"So remember, when one of us says 'O power to control all spirits… come to rest in my hand' and then something else, do whatever that command is," Luna says to Regulus.

Regulus nods and the three of us walk towards Zeman's castle. There is blue lightning flashing everywhere. Torunka then trips over his clothes. "But they were the right size a few minutes ago!" I exclaim.

"It's the Minus Curse," Torunka says. "It's stronger here than in the forest and it's reversing us aging! I used to be a wise old spellcaster, and now I'm just a boy!"

Luna is also affected by the curse, but for some reason I am not. "Stay close to me," I say. Maybe it would slow the effects of the Minus Curse.

As we approach the castle, the lightning grows stronger. "That lightning is creeping me out," Torunka says.

"Ignore it, we're almost there," I say. A minute later we are at the door to the castle. Two monkeys block our path.

"Who you?" one of the monkeys asks.

"We are a family of traveling magicians and we have a solution to your master's dilemma," I say.

The monkeys see Regulus and point their staffs at him. Regulus makes no movement. "He is under our spell," Luna says. "There is no need for that."

"Come this way," the other monkey says. One monkey leads us to a large room while the other takes Regulus away. Zeman is on his throne looking a bit bored. Along the wall are many imprisoned Duel Spirits, including some of Luna's monsters.

"Who are these people?" Zeman asks. I nudge Luna and we kneel down.

"We are just a family of traveling magicians, great Monkey King Zeman," I say. "But we do have a solution to your problem with Ancient Fairy Dragon."

This catches Zeman's attention. "What exactly would that be?" he asks.

"You must unseal Ancient Fairy Dragon and reseal it along with Regulus, her servant," I say. "Then you will be able to fully Minusmize Ancient Fairy Dragon."

Zeman pauses, probably getting his thoughts together. "That might work, but my monkeys have tried and failed to catch Regulus multiple times," Zeman says.

"We already solved that problem," Luna says. The monkeys bring Regulus into the room. Regulus is in a cage, pretending to sleep. "O power to control all spirits… come to rest in my hand, Regulus awaken!" Luna chants.

Regulus opens his eyes, stands up, and growls. Some of the monkeys jump backwards. "Be quelled," I say. Regulus returns to a lounging position.

Zeman seemed impressed. "If this works, then Ancient Fairy Dragon's powers will be mine, correct?" Zeman asks.

"Most definitely," Torunka says.

"If it doesn't, then you three will face dire consequences," Zeman says.

"O power to control all spirits… come to rest in my hand, Regulus come forward!" I chant. Zeman would probably want to start right away. Regulus stands up and leaves the cage that the monkeys had opened. He stops in front of Zeman.

"Very well then," Zeman says. He raises his staff and points it at the crag. "Cursed Needle, release Ancient Fairy Dragon!"

A faint glow appears over the crag. From the glow comes a skeletal Ancient Fairy Dragon. The skeleton begins to regain color. "It's working! He's falling for it!" Torunka says. He does this little victory dance and ends up tripping. He knocks down Luna, removing their disguises, and also revealing the staff was just another one of the Minus Staffs.

Zeman notices this. "That is one of my own staffs," he says. "You three are no magicians!" He returns Ancient Fairy Dragon to her prison.

The monkeys then point their own staffs at us. Regulus then stops his act and growls at the monkeys. "Since Plan A failed, we need to go with Plan B," Regulus says. "Luna, give me the Minus Staff."

"What are you going to do?" Luna asks as Regulus holds the staff in his mouth.

"The same thing you did to free me," Regulus says. He pounces on Zeman, activating the Minus Staffs. A huge explosion occurs, sending fire everywhere. It obliterates the monkeys, but Luna's Mark protects us.

After the light dies down, we can see that the room was destroyed. "Ah, I'm literally back to my old self," a voice says from behind me. I turn around and where Torunka had been, a Dark Sage was standing.

"Wait, you're Torunka?" Luna asks. The Dark Sage grins.

"I wasn't lying when I said I was old," he says.

"Okay, Torunka is back to normal, but why are the Duel Spirits still in tablets and this place is still shrouded in darkness?" I ask.

"Zeman transferred the Minus Curse to the real world just before I destroyed him," Regulus says. Suddenly the Mark of the Monkey appears in the sky and begins absorbing the spirits in the tablets.

"A Shadow Duel has been going on this whole time?" I ask.

"It seems you two should return then," Torunka says. "You've freed the Spirit World, now you have to aid your own world. I can send you back."

"Will we be able to come back?" Luna asks.

"Maybe when this is all over," Torunka says. He raises his staff and both Luna and I are engulfed in light. "Good luck!" Torunka calls.

**XXX**

Me: I think I'll end it here.

Luna: You did a pretty good job with what happened in the Spirit World.

Me: I think I nailed the monkey speech.

Sky: Meh, you probably could have done better.

Me: Even professional writers can do better. Do you expect me to be perfect?

Sky: Not really.

Me: Then leave it alone! Anywho, this chapter is the longest so far. Six pages on Microsoft Word.

Yusei: You seem to fit more into a chapter each time.

Me: I think it's because I get more confident or something… Well, please review and all that. Especially if you haven't before!


	26. Chapter 26: The Old Reactor

Me: Yeah, I've got another chapter here!

Sky: Did you have trouble with this chapter?

Me: No, my parents just wouldn't let me on the computer as often.

Yusei: Do you have permission now?

Me: Yep! Okay, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5ds but I do own Sky. Also, if you haven't seen Episode 50, the duel here was taken directly from it. On with the chapter!

Chapter 26

The light dims, and both Luna and I are surrounded by purple fire. _Earthbound Immortal Cusillu_ is standing over us. Leo is the one dueling the Dark Signer, but he seems to be in a bad condition.

"So the Signer decides to show herself at last," the Dark Signer says.

"Leo, are you okay?" Luna asks, ignoring the Dark Signer. Leo smiles weakly.

"I'd be lying if I said yes," he says. "I wanted to beat Devak for you, but I can barely stand. I'm not strong enough to be a hero."

"Leo, in my eyes you're the best a hero can get!" Luna exclaims. The twins hug and start crying.

"Um, I don't mean to interrupt, but isn't there a duel to finish?" I ask.

"I don't know if I can finish it," Leo says.

"I'll finish it then," Luna says. Luna takes Leo's Duel Disk from him. As she straps it on, her Mark lights up.

"Good luck Luna," I say. Devak begins laughing.

"You will be easy pickings for my Immortal," he says. "But first I activate my Continuous Trap _Cursed Prison_! This card lets me Special Summon a Synchro Monster in Defense mode, ignoring its Summoning conditions."

Devak places _Ancient Fairy Dragon (ATK 2100, DEF 3000)_ on his Duel Disk, making Luna gasp. _Ancient Fairy Dragon_ is stuck in a cage, and is only partially formed. "I think I'll end my turn there," Devak says.

"I'll save you _Ancient Fairy Dragon_," Luna says as she begins her turn. "I activate _Power Tool Dragon's_ special ability, letting me add a random Equip Spell to my hand." Luna looks at the card.

"I activate the Equip Spell I just added to my hand, _Central Shield_! Now any Battle Damage I would take in a battle other than with _Power Tool Dragon_ becomes zero," Luna continues.

"Alright Luna, you've got the ultimate shield!" Leo exclaims. _He is right, that shield prevents the damage from a direct attack as long as it's on the field,_ I think.

"I end my own turn with two cards face-down," Luna finishes.

"That means it's my turn," Devak says. "_Earthbound Immortal Cusillu, _destroy that Signer's toy dragon!" he shouts. The monkey's hand curls into a fist and takes aim at _Power Tool Dragon_.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I activate the Quick-Play Spell _Limiter Removal_ which doubles all Machine-Type monsters Attack power until the End Phase," Luna counters.

_Power Tool Dragon ATK 4000_. The monkey's fist collides with the dragon and shakes the arena. I shield the twins from any debris that might have appeared. Devak curses Luna, but then starts laughing. **Devak's Life Points: 2100**

"You are a fool to defy my Earthbound Immortal," he says. "I play _Earthbound Immortal Cusillu's _ability, so by sacrificing another monster I can negate its destruction. Also, my opponent's Life Points are halved," Devak adds.

A black circle appears around Luna, shocking her. **Luna's Life Points: 200** Leo catches her as she falls. "I'm okay Leo," Luna says as she gets back up. "I knew you were going to do that Devak!" she shouts.

Devak then seemed confused. Luna smiles and continues her strategy. "I play the Continuous Trap _Respect Synchron_! Now because a Synchro Monster was sent to the Graveyard due to a card effect, I can Special Summon that monster to my side of the field!" Luna says.

_Ancient Fairy Dragon_ appears next to Luna, though she is still in chains and only partially formed. Then _Regulus_ appears and breaks the chains binding her. _Ancient Fairy Dragon_ spreads her wings and finishes forming completely. She lets loose a cry.

"Go for it Luna!" I say. _Ancient Fairy Dragon _says something to Luna, but I do not hear what it was.

"Grr, I end my turn," Devak says.

"_Central Shield _is destroyed instead of _Power Tool Dragon_ due to the after effect of _Limiter Removal_," Luna says. Leo gets up next to her. Leo whispers something into Luna's ear and Luna nods.

"It's our turn!" both twins exclaim, drawing the card together.

"First off, _Ancient Fairy Dragon's _effect activates, destroying one Field Spell and letting me gain 1000 Life Points," Luna says. The look on Devak's face was priceless when Luna said 'Field Spell'. "Go, _Plain Back_!"

_Ancient Fairy Dragon_ whips up a whirlwind that clears the field. _Earthbound Immortal Cusillu ATK 2800_, **Luna and Leo's Life Points: 1200** "_Earthbound Immortal Cusillu_ loses its abilities and will be destroyed in the End Phase now that there's no Field," Luna says.

"But we aren't done yet, _Power Tool Dragon's _ability activates too," Leo says. Both twins pull out the card, smiling.

"I activate the Equip Spell _Pain to Power, _which I equip to _Ancient Fairy Dragon_," Luna says.

"And I activate the Equip Spell _Rocket Pilder_ which I equip to _Power Tool Dragon_," Leo says.

"Go _Power Tool Dragon,_ attack _Earthbound Immortal Cusillu_ with _Crafty Break_!" both twins shout. The monkey fights back, since its ATK is still higher than the dragon's.

**Luna and Leo's Life Points: 400** "_Rocket Pilder_ prevents _Power Tool Dragon _from being destroyed," Leo says. "But that's not all; _Rocket Pilder_ decreases the monster that just battled my own by the ATK of the equipped monster."

_Earthbound Immortal Cusillu ATK 800, Ancient Fairy Dragon ATK 2900_. "_Pain to Power_ gives _Ancient Fairy Dragon _a power boost as well," Luna says. "Finish this, _Ancient Fairy Dragon!_ Attack with _Eternal Sunshine!_"

I had to look away as _Ancient Fairy Dragon _filled the field with light. **Devak's Life Points: 0** The light dims and Devak is walking towards us as the Monkey Mark disappears. "You will not win… I will drag you down with me!" he shouts.

Devak attempts to grab Luna, but I pull her to safety. Devak then turns into dust. "Nice job Leo and Luna!" a voice calls from behind us. Yusei and a Sector Security officer are running from the top of a hill.

As they get near, _Ancient Fairy Dragon_ and _Regulus _appear. _You have done it Luna, the Spirit World is free_, _Ancient Fairy Dragon_ says.

"Uh, is it just me or did that dragon just talk?" the Security asks.

_It is not just you Officer Trudge, Ancient Fairy Dragon _says, after which the officer faints.

_Thank you for freeing us_, _Regulus _says. _Already we have begun setting the world right._

"I couldn't have done it without Leo or Sky," Luna says. "Sky helped with the Spirit World half and Leo set up Devak's defeat."

_Well then I thank the both of you as well, Ancient Fairy Dragon _says.

"Does this mean you'll help us defeat the Dark Signers?" Yusei asks.

_We will, Regulus _says. Then the two turn into cards and appear in Luna's hands. "Come on, we need to seal this control tower," Yusei says.

"You mean the ones for the old Reactor?" I ask.

"Yeah, Roman said we have to seal the four by sundown or the gates to the Netherworld will open," Yusei says. My mind froze when he said 'Roman'.

"Are you alright Sky?" Luna asks.

"What's Roman's last name?" I ask. It couldn't be _that_ Roman.

"Goodwin. Roman is Rex Goodwin's older brother," Yusei replies.

"It has to be _that_ Roman," I mutter, clenching my fist.

"Aren't we supposed to be sealing the tower?" Leo asks.

"I'll do it," I say. "Luna, I need _Ancient Fairy Dragon_." Luna hands me the card. I walk up to the tower, quickly having a short flashback.

**(Flashback)**

My dad is holding a small object in his hands. "What do you have Daddy?" I ask.

"This is a small version of a tower that's going to be built. It will keep the Reactor under control," he replies.

"Cool!" I exclaim. "You're so smart Daddy!" My dad bends down and rubs my head.

"Keep it up and you'll be smarter than me someday," my dad says.

**(End Flashback)**

A tear runs down my face as I place _Ancient Fairy Dragon_ in the slot. I quickly pull it back out as the tower sinks down.

"That's one down and three to go," Leo says. Trudge walks up behind him.

"I'm fine now, but wasn't there a tower here?" he asks. "First it was a talking dragon and a floating dragon, now a disappearing tower?"

"I think you need some more sleep," Leo says.

"I guess it's my turn now," Yusei says. "I have to defeat Kalin."

"Good luck then Yusei," I say. "I have some business of my own to tend to." Under my breath I say the spell that brings me my Duel Runner. It scares Trudge as well, but he gets over it.

"Is this business important?" Yusei asks as I get on my Runner.

"Yes it is," I reply. Then I start my Runner and race towards the original Reactor. A few minutes later I see the Mark of the Whale in the sky. "_Ingram_, do you think you could go see who's dueling?" I ask my old Duel Spirit.

_Ingram_ flies off in the direction of the Shadow Mark. She returns not even a minute later. _It is your orange-haired friend. I think his name is Crow_, _Ingram_ says. She then returns to my Deck.

The Reactor building is in my sights as the Shadow Mark disappears. _I hope Crow's the one that won_, I think. Soon after, I stop in front of the building. There are two Sector Security helicopters there.

"I didn't know Securities came out here," I say. Erasing the thought I enter the building. _This place brings back strong memories, both good and bad_, I think.

**(Flashback)**

"Daddy, can I come with you today?" I ask. "Mommy and Yusei are going too, so I'll be all alone."

My dad thinks it through. "Okay, you can come with us," he says. I grin and get in the car. My mom puts Yusei in a car seat and we leave. Soon enough we stop at a large building.

"Is this where you work?" I ask. My dad nods. "It looks so cool!" I exclaim.

My dad leads me to a small room. There are some toys and a crib inside. "This is where you and Yusei will stay while we work, got that?" my mom asks.

"No problem!" I exclaim. One of the play sets had an extra Duel Monsters Deck. "I'm gonna duel myself!" I shout.

"If you're going to do that, could you be a little quieter?" my dad asks. "I'd prefer it if no one else knew you're alive."

"Okay Daddy," I whisper. My dad rubs my head and leaves along with my mom. So I start dueling myself. The extra Deck stood no chance against my own, but I still had fun. Yusei starts clapping as I finish.

I stick my hand through one of the bars and Yusei tries to bite it. "My hand isn't for biting," I say. I hand him one of his toys. Yusei smiles and starts chewing on it. "Babies are weird," I say.

Suddenly Yusei starts crying. He drops his toy. I quickly pull him out and try to soothe him. "It's okay Yusei, everything is fine," I say in a gentle voice. He is still crying.

Suddenly my mom runs in. I hand her the still-crying Yusei. My mom has a scared look on her face. "What's wrong Mommy?" I ask.

"Roman won't let us stop the Reactor," my mom says. "It's going to explode or worse…"

Emergency lights start flashing. "Come with me Sky," my mom says. I follow her to a larger room where my dad is leaning against the wall.

"Were you able to talk some sense into Roman?" my mom asks.

"No, and he has _Ancient Fairy Dragon_, so we can't seal Cusillu. Even if the other three could be sealed, it wouldn't matter," my dad replies.

The emergency siren starts flaring now. Yusei starts crying again. My mom hands him to my dad. "Please Hakase, get them to safety," my mom says. She gives me a hug and tells me to follow dad.

My dad leads me down a long hallway where there are several escape pods. He places Yusei in one. "Sky, get in there with Yusei," my dad says. I climb into it.

"What about you Daddy?" I ask. My dad holds something out. He is crying.

"Sky, I love the both of you so much," he says. "Keep your brother and that Deck safe."

"Wait Daddy!" I shout as he pushes the button. There is a flash of light and I faint.

**(End Flashback)**

I walk into the nursery as the flashback ends. The crib is broken in half, and part of the wall has collapsed. I clench my fist. "You will pay for all that you've Roman," I mutter as I find my way to the center of the building.

**XXX**

Sky: So I've got a grudge on Roman?

Me: Well duh, he killed your parents with the Zero Reverse thingy.

Leo: *Walks into the room* Nice place you've got.

Me: Er, thank you?

Leo: Am I going to be in the next chapter?

Me: *Thinks* Maybe at the very end.

Leo: I want to be in the next chapter!

Luna: *Appears and drags away Leo*

Sky: Have you not written the next chapter yet?

Me: A few sentences, but I have the ideas. Anywho, please review and I thank the people that have reviewed in the past. See you next time!


	27. Chapter 27: Destiny

Me: I'm happy and sad at the same time.

Sky: Why is that?

Me: I'm extremely happy because this story has more than twenty reviews. I'm sad because my brother's guinea pig died yesterday.

Sky: Aw, that is sad.

Me: To top it all off my fish died on Sunday.

Yusei: Do animals not like your family?

Me: Hey, we still have a hamster, another guinea pig, and a cat! They're all perfectly fine!

Crow: *Breaks out of a closet* I hope those animals run away then. You and your ideas are evil!

Me: Not all of my ideas are evil!

Crow: Name one.

Me: *Whispers something into Crow's ear*

Crow: *Holds back laughter* Okay, that might not be _evil_, but it's still torture.

Me: I don't care what you think anyways. Well then, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5ds, but I do own Sky and her Deck. Oh yeah, Reshiram belongs to whatever company owns Pokémon.

Chapter 27

As I'm trying to find my way through the building, I come across a room that I can hear voices from. "It seems that Kalin has failed," one says. I peak into the room. Three Dark Signers are inside, including Roman. He was the one that had spoken.

"It would seem that Jack approaches the tower Carly," Roman says.

Carly stands up. "I will not fail," she says and disappears.

"Akiza nears the other tower as well Misty," Roman says. The other Dark Signer disappears as well. Then Roman starts laughing. "You can come out now," he says. I enter the room.

"Hello Roman," I say, glaring daggers at the man. He simply laughs.

"Ah Sky, I was beginning to wonder if you cheated death twice," he says. "The Earthbound Immortals aren't very happy about that."

"It's actually been more like three times," I say. "And I don't care about the fact that I'm not a Signer, I challenge you to a duel!" I shout.

"I knew you would do that," Roman says. "Come with me then." Roman leads me to a bridge over a pit with light in it. "This is where we will duel," he says.

"Let's do this thing then!" I shout. **Roman's Life Points: 4000, Sky's Life Points: 4000**

"I'll go first," Roman says. "Hmm, I set a card and end my turn."

_No monsters? It must be a Trap, _I think. _Better get rid of it now than later._ "Alright, it's my turn and I Summon _Celestial Knight-Mercury (ATK 1500, DEF 1000)_ to the field in Attack mode," I say.

"_Celestial Knight-Mercury,_ attack his Life Points directly!" I shout. **Roman's Life Points: 2500**

Roman smiles. "Now I can activate my Trap _Wolf in Sheep's Clothing_, which lets me Special Summon two Level 1 monsters, one from my Deck and one from my hand," Roman says. Two _Dark Spiders (ATK 0, DEF 100)_ appear next to him.

"Since I can't do anything else, I set three cards face-down to end my turn," I say. _Two monsters, all he needs is a Field Spell_, I think.

"My move then," Roman says. "First off I activate the Field Spell _Spider Web_." The light from the pit form the spider web. "Now I release my two monsters. _O souls of the dead who lurk in my light of destiny! Grant me the power to lead the dark truth in this protean world!_ Appear now, _Earthbound Immortal Uru (ATK 3000, DEF 3000)_!"

The giant spider appears, clinging to the web of light. "_Earthbound Immortal Uru,_ attack Sky's Life Points directly!" Roman orders.

"Sorry Roman, I activate my Trap _Celestial Barricade_, so the Battle Damage I take this round becomes zero as I control a 'Celestial' monster," I say.

"Very well then, I activate the Continuous Spell _Destiny Activator,_ so I send the top card of my Deck to the Graveyard. Now if you draw the same type of card as the one I sent to the Graveyard, I can destroy _Destiny Activator_ and halve your Life Points," Roman says.

The card sent to the Graveyard is a monster, _Dark Tuner Spider Cocoon. _"I'll also set two cards face-down to end my turn," Roman finishes.

"Then it's my turn!" I exclaim. Thankfully the card I draw is a Trap. "Alright, since I control a face-up 'Celestial' monster, I can Special Summon _Celestial Wizard (ATK 1800, DEF 1000)_ to my field in Attack position," I say.

"Since your Earthbound Immortal can't be targeted as an attack, I'll choose the next best thing. _Celestial Wizard, _attack Roman directly with _Spatial Rift_!" I shout.

Roman laughs. "Well this is a pity; I activate my Continuous Trap _Roar of the Earthbound_! If I control a face-up 'Earthbound Immortal', I can destroy an attacking monster if it has less ATK than my Immortal. Also, you take damage equal to half of the ATK of your destroyed monster," he says.

The sonic wave from the card knocks me off my feet. **Sky's Life Points: 3100** "Well then I end my turn with a face-down," I say, getting back up.

"Hah, if just that much causes you to fall, this won't take long at all!" Roman says. "Since it's my turn… _Earthbound Immortal Uru_, attack her Life Points directly!"

"I activate another _Celestial Barricade_, so the attack is useless," I say.

"No it isn't, because I play my Counter Trap _Earthbound Wave_, which negates your Trap Card if I have an Earthbound Immortal," Roman counters. "Continue your attack Uru! _Web of Destruction!_"

The web strikes me full-on, and knocks me off the bridge. I barely manage to grasp part of it. "Sky!" I hear a voice shout. **Sky's Life Points: 100** I glance up and see that Yusei, Trudge, and also the twins had found their way to the arena.

"Little help here please," I say. I was losing my grip on the bridge. Yusei quickly helps me up. Pain also shoots through my half-healed side.

"Is this the business that you were talking about?" Yusei asks.

"Yes," I say. "And don't even try to take my place in this duel Yusei; I'm going to finish what was started."

Roman starts to laugh. "Ah, you mean what I started seventeen years ago," he says. "It's a pity you won't be here for much longer. I end my turn with a face-down."

"I'm up then!" I exclaim. I flip over the card, unfortunately being _Celestial Synchron_.

"A monster, so I can destroy _Destiny Activator_. Say goodbye to half of your Life Points," Roman says. The card sends a small shockwave through my body. **Sky's Life Points: 50**

"I Summon the monster I just drew, a Tuner known as _Celestial Synchron (ATK 700, DEF 1800)_," I say. "Now the effect of _Celestial Synchron_ activates, letting me bring out a Level 1 monster from my Deck. I choose my _Celestial Eagle (ATK 1000, DEF 0)_!"

A small silver robot appears along with a silver bird. "_Celestial Synchron (Level 3), _why don't you give my Level 3 _Celestial Knight-Mercury _and Level 1 _Celestial Eagle_ a Tune up! _Watch as the light in the sky merges with the darkness in the earth as I Synchro Summon, Celestial Dragon-Moon (ATK 1500, DEF 2700)_!" I shout.

_That Trap card will wipe out the rest of my Life Points if I attack, so it's best not to_, I think. "I end my turn, and that means _Celestial Dragon-Moon's_ ability activates! If she is in Defense mode during the End Phase, I gain 500 Life Points," I say.

**Sky's Life Points: 550** "You Fudos just don't give up," Roman says.

"What does that mean?" Yusei asks.

"As you know I worked with your parents," Roman says. "Your father spent a good year trying to discover the Planetary Particle. He never gave up, even when some of his co-workers left."

"In fact, your mother even tried once more to stop me from pressing the button that caused Zero Reverse. Obviously she failed, although she certainly had courage," Roman says.

_Mom tried to stop it too? _I think.

"You know that you can't go against fate," Roman says. "You, a non-Signer, could never defeat me."

"That's not true," Yusei says. "Crow isn't a Signer, and yet he defeated Greiger."

I simply begin laughing, catching strange looks from everyone. "Oh Roman, if it was impossible to go against fate, then neither I nor Yusei would even be alive," I say. "And yet we are here."

"What do you mean by that?" Roman inquires.

"With me, if it were impossible, I would have died an infant. Yusei, I saw him fall off the cliff three days before it happened. But instead of letting that be, I altered the future by catching and throwing him to safety," I say.

"Hmph, you might be right about that," Roman says. "I too went against fate. The Crimson Dragon marked me as its own, and yet here I am fighting against it."

"Wait, you're the fifth Signer?" Yusei asks. Roman shows off his mechanical arm.

"Oh, I was, but I'm not anymore," he says. "Before I pressed the button, I cut off my Mark of the Dragon and gave it to my brother."

"You're even more twisted than I thought," I say.

"Twisted you say?" Roman asks. "Why don't we just continue the duel? I do believe it's my turn."

"_Earthbound Immortal Uru_, end this duel!" Roman shouts.

"I don't give up that easily; I activate my Trap _Lunar Eclipse_! By halving my Life Points when I control a face-up _Celestial Dragon Moon_, I can force your monster to attack her!" I counter.

** Sky's Life Points: 275 **"Grr, destroy her dragon then," Roman says. "I end my turn with a face-down card."

Suddenly my legs give away from the earlier injuries. The half-healed side had been leaking blood, and lots of it. _No, I just need one more turn_, I think. But I can barely move my arm.

"It seems you'll be joining your parents soon," Roman says.

_I won't lose_, I think. _Why can't you work stupid arm? _It still refuses to budge.

_Let me help you_, Reshiram says.

_ What exactly are you going to do_? I ask.

_Lend you some of my power,_ Reshiram replies. _You are fighting against destiny alone. If I help you, it will be possible to change that._

_ Okay, please help me_, I think. Warmth rushes through my body and I am able to stand.

"Now I know that I need more sleep," Trudge says from the end of the bridge. I glance down and find that my body is glowing.

_Do not worry, my powers are simply shining through_, Reshiram says.

"I'm not worried," I say. "It's my turn!" I look at the card I drew. It wasn't one of my own cards.

_ Actually it is,_ Reshiram says. _That card, along with a new Synchro Monster, both contain my energy._ I view my Extra Deck and see that there is a new Level 8 monster there.

_They are for me to use?_ I ask.

_Why else would I have created them?_ Reshiram asks in return.

_So true…_ I think. "Very well then, I Summon the Tuner _Celestial Knight-Star (ATK 2000, DEF 1000)_ to the field in Attack mode! Now I use her effect to bring back _Celestial Wizard_!" I shout.

A new knight, a lady in shining silver armor appears. She wields a shield that bears the Celestial Symbol on it. "Now I Tune my Level 4 _Celestial Knight-Star_ with my Level 4 _Celestial Wizard_! _As night falls and darkness rises, the stars gather together to form one mighty beast!_ Synchro Summon! Bring forth the light, _Celestial Dragon-Quasar (ATK 3000, DEF 2000)_!" I exclaim.

This time it is a silver dragon that appears. The silver dragon has two shimmering wings and deep blue eyes. _I have answered the call for help_, _Celestial Dragon-Quasar_ says.

"Thank you then," I say. Roman is smiling.

"It's a pity your new dragon can't stay for long," he says. "I activate my Trap _Bottomless Trap Hole_, so say goodbye to your monster."

"The only thing that will be leaving the field is your Trap," I say. "_Celestial Dragon-Quasar's_ ability activates; once per turn she can negate the activation and effect of a Trap card and destroy it!"

"Go, _Starlight Whirlwind_!" I shout. _Celestial Dragon-Quasar_ flaps her wings, sending a gust of wind to tear apart the Trap card. "That's not all, if this effect is activated; I can also destroy one face-up Spell card. Your Field Spell fits the bill," I say.

The whirlwind continues, tearing apart the spider web of light. "I activate my final face-down card, a Trap known as _Celestial Bond_! If I have less than 500 Life Points, one monster I control gains 500 ATK for every 'Celestial' monster in my Graveyard. I have six," I say.

_Celestial Dragon-Quasar ATK 6000_. "Roman, this duel ends now! Without a Field Spell to protect your Immortal, _Celestial Dragon-Quasar_ will attack it! _Quasar Flash_!" I yell.

The silver dragon spreads out her wings and fires a large ball of white fire at the giant spider. The spider goes up in flames which land on Roman. **Roman's Life Points: 0**

As soon as Roman's Life Points hit zero, I fall to one knee. Yusei runs over to me. "Are you okay?" he asks.

"I've been better, but I'll live," I reply. At this Roman starts laughing.

"I'm afraid neither of you will be around for much longer," he says as he turns into dust. Then the bridge gives out, the fire from the destruction of the Immortal having weakened it.

Yusei and I are sent hurtling into the Reactor, and I am too exhausted to fly us to safety. The light envelops us. "Yusei! Sky!" multiple voices shout. But they cannot do anything.

**XXX**

Me: I seriously like ending in cliffhangers.

Sky: You do have a tendency to do that.

Me: I think it's cool to end like that. Except for when authors of actual books end one of their books in a series with a cliffhanger. Then it's torture!

Sky: You actually receive torture?

Me: Yes… I have to wait until May for _City of Lost Souls_ and until sometime this fall for _The Mark of Athena_. Both are part of really good series.

Sky: They sound interesting.

Me: The books before them certainly are! Anywho, I would appreciate it if anyone would review my story. I thank the three people that have reviewed multiple times and anyone who does review or even just reads this story. Bye-bye for now!


	28. Chapter 28: Otherworldly Encounter

Me: I'm back again!

Leo: You left us hanging! *Chucks a bowl of popcorn at me*

Me: *Dodges bowl* Hey, that's my popcorn!

Leo: *Sticks his tongue out* Too bad, it's mine now.

Me: Grr, Yusei you're typing the chapter now! *Tosses a book to Yusei and starts chasing Leo*

Yusei: I haven't had to do this in a while.

Sky: You're right.

Luna: I got the disclaimer! Shimmering-Sky doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5ds or Reshiram. She does own Sky and her Deck though!

*Leo runs through the room*

Me: Get back here popcorn thief!

Yusei: I should probably type the chapter now…

Chapter 28

I awake lying on the ground. I slowly stand up and look around me. There is darkness everywhere. "Yusei!" I shout, remembering that he had fallen as well. A faint moan from somewhere told me he was okay.

I follow the source of the moan and find Yusei on the ground. He slowly stands up. "Where are we?" he asks.

"I don't know," I say. Suddenly several grey figures appear. They grab us and try to drag us down. "Let go of me!" I shout. A jolt of pain runs through my head and an image of the Reactor going berserk appears in my mind.

"You're the ones that died from Zero Reverse," Yusei says. He must have been shown the same image I had. The ground below us turns into a type of quicksand. With the force of the figures, both of us were sinking fast.

"Leave them be!" a voice shouts. "They do not belong here!" The figures recoil at the sound of the voice and leave. The ground also turns solid again.

"Uh, thank you," I say, turning around. I receive the shock of a lifetime. "Dad? Is-Is it really you?" I ask. In front of me stands my dad just as he had been the last time I saw him.

"It is," he says. He stares at Yusei and his face saddens. "I wish I could have seen you grow up my son," Dad says.

"You're my father?" Yusei asks. "Wait, does that mean we are dead?"

Dad shakes his head. "No, the light from the Reactor has gotten ahold of the both of you like it did me. You must leave soon, or else you won't be able to return," he says.

"How are we supposed to get back though?" I ask.

"I have enough power to send you both back," Dad says. "Promise me you will stop the darkness."

"We've stopped some of it already," I say. "Luna defeated Devak, Yusei defeated Kalin, Crow defeated Greiger, and I defeated Roman."

"There are still three more then," Dad says. "Good luck." And then Yusei and I are surrounded by light again. When I open my eyes I am lying on the ground next to Yusei, Crow standing over us.

_What did he mean by three? There are only two more towers to be sealed, so there are only two more Dark Signers_, I think.

"Thank goodness you two are okay," Crow says as I sit up.

"What happened after we fell?" I ask.

"The light from the Reactor disappeared. A few minutes later both of you flew out of the Reactor, although you were both unconscious," Crow says.

"Sky, you don't think that was a dream, do you?" Yusei asks.

"I've seen stranger things happen, so I think that was real," I reply.

"What are you talking about?" Leo asks.

"We saw our dad in the Reactor," I say. This statement receives weird looks as well.

"Um, why don't we just leave this place? I think the stale air is getting to your heads," Trudge says after an awkward silence. I try to stand up, but my side says otherwise.

_I could walk around in the Reactor, why not here?_ I think.

_The light in the Reactor led to another dimension. You can't feel pain there,_ Reshiram says. _The leftover power from the Earthbound Immortal prevents either of us from healing that wound._

_ The same thing happened with my earlier wound. Is that why I couldn't heal it? _I ask.

_Yes, although I could probably deaden the pain_, Reshiram replies.

_Please do that, I don't want to be carried out of here_, I think back. Quickly the pain lessens, and I stand up.

"Are you okay?" Yusei asks. "You had a strange look on your face."

"It looked like this," Leo says, scrunching his face up.

"Er, yeah I'm okay. My side hurt, that's all," I say. _Would they believe that I was actually talking to a dragon? _I think. _Luna might, but the others… I won't tell them._

"Can we leave now?" Trudge asks. So the six of us leave the Reactor. When we emerge from the building, small sparkles could be seen in the distance.

"That means Jack won his duel," Yusei says. "The only one left now is Akiza."

"I think we should go see how she's doing," I say. The others agree, getting on our Duel Runners and Security Car. We soon arrive at where the Lizard Tower is located-an abandoned amusement park. The park is huge, and since there is no geoglyph in the sky, we don't know exactly where Akiza is. The six of us split up, Leo going with Luna, Trudge going with Crow, and I'm with Yusei.

Yusei and I walk past several dilapidated game stands. "I wonder how it was like when there were people here," I say.

"One can only imagine," Yusei says.

"Look out!" a voice shouts. I glance up and see a falling board, aiming itself at Yusei. My brother jumps out of the way and the board smashes into the pavement.

"That was a close one," I say. "Who warned us about it?"

"That would have been me," a man says, walking over to us. He is wearing shades and has auburn-colored hair. "I'm here on the Director's orders to make sure Akiza wins," he adds.

"Thanks for the concern, but we've got it covered," I say.

"It's dangerous to be here," Yusei adds.

"And I am prepared for those dangers," he says. "Would you mind if I help you find Akiza?"

I shrug and we continue searching. I pause as a strange sensation runs through my gut. _What is my gut trying to warn me about this time?_ I think. Then a jolt of pain runs through my head, along with an image.

The image is one of me, Yusei, and a blue-haired lady stuck in some place as it is flooding. "Sky, are you okay?" Yusei asks.

"Sorry, I felt like I was going to be sick or something," I reply. I glance at the man, who is staring at me like I'm a ghost or something. He catches my gaze and looks away instantly.

_Strange,_ I think. _Why was he looking at me like that?_ "Let's continue the search," Yusei says. A few minutes later and the man stops.

"I think I saw movement in that house," he says, pointing at a broken storage facility. Yusei races into the house and I follow him. Underneath us, the floor is metal grating. Underneath that, a blue-haired lady is lying on the ground.

"Are you okay Mina?" Yusei calls to the lady. There is no response. There is an opening in the grating and Yusei heads towards it. He is stopped by a large fireball. The stranger is holding a Duel Disk and a sword. There is a Spell Card on the Disk, whatever card the sword came from.

I instantly stand between Yusei and the man. "What are you going to do with that?" I ask. The man just snarls at me.

"You Fudos are always getting in my way," he says. He lashes out with the sword, which I block with my Duel Disk. Multiple times he strikes at me, but I deflect all of them. Then he does something I don't expect-whack Yusei with the hilt of the sword.

The hilt strikes Yusei's gut, which still hadn't fully healed from his first Shadow Duel with Kalin. The Signer falls to the ground moaning in pain. Using my second of shock, the man continues his attack and strikes my side. My vision fades to black.

**XXX**

**Third Person**

"Hmph, you two are pathetic," an auburn-haired man says. He lifts up two unconscious people and dumps them through an opening in a grating. Upon landing on the ground, the male regains consciousness.

"What's going on?" he demands. The auburn-haired man just laughs and presses a button on the wall. Water begins to fill the cellar. The man also shoots a fireball at the opening, welding the lid shut. The water awakens one of the other two, a lady with blue hair. The third remains unconscious.

"What-Where-Yusei, do you have any idea what happened?" the blue-haired lady asks.

"Sorry Mina," Yusei replies. The water level reaches their ankles. "That man, is he the one that stuck you in here?" Yusei asks.

"Yeah, he said the Director sent him, but them he whacked me with something hard," Mina says, putting her hand to the back of her head. "The next thing I remember is waking up just now."

A grunt comes from the third person, but she remains down. A small trickle of blood is coming out of her side. By now, the water level is even higher, almost covering the unconscious lady. Yusei sticks his arm under the lady, keeping her afloat.

"Mina, do you have anything that could possibly wake Sky up?" Yusei asks.

Mina reaches into her pockets. "The only thing remotely close to that would be some pepper spray," the blue-haired lady says.

"That will do," Yusei says, extending his other hand. Mina places it into the extended hand. "Mina, can you hold one of her eyelids open?" Yusei asks. Mina hesitates, but then opens one of them.

"Sorry about this Sky," Yusei mutters as he sprays the open eye. Sky sneezes for no apparent reason, but she wakes up. Her hand flies to her eye, rubbing it.

"What was that for?" Sky demands. Her eye is now watering like crazy.

"Well we're stuck in a cellar that is being flooded," Yusei replies. "The only way out is through the opening, but the man sealed it tightly."

Sky glances up and then looks at the wall. "That might just work," she says. The golden-haired woman wades her way over to the wall and starts climbing it. Unfortunately the wall gives out and returns its passenger to the water.

"The water's weakened the wall too much," Sky says. "Now I won't be able to force the grate open with magic… And my Duel Disk is ruined from the water, so no materializing cards."

**Sky's POV**

The water is now too deep to stand in. "Help! Somebody help us!" Yusei shouts. Considering that help from outside was probably the only way out now, I join in the shouting. Mina joins too, only she is yelling for Jack to help.

A few minutes later and someone walks in. "Trudge, we're down here!" I shout. The water is at least twelve feet deep by now. "The hatch! It's the only way out!"

Trudge finds a metal pole and tries to open the hatch. It won't budge at all. "Help us Mr. Atlas!" Mina shouts one last time. Trudge's face turns red with anger, but the hatch flies off. Just in time, since the water reached the top of the grating.

The four of us scamper out of the storage building. As soon as we're outside we stop. _Reshiram, can you numb the pain again?_ I ask.

_Sorry about that, when you lost consciousness I lost my concentration_, she replies. The pain lessens and my wound stops bleeding.

"Sky, are you sure you're okay?" Yusei asks.

"Yes Yusei, I'm sure," I reply. "Trudge, wasn't Crow with you?" I ask.

"He was, but he thought he saw something in a hall of mirrors," Trudge says. "I didn't see anything, so I kept going the way we had been."

The conversation then ends, because the Mark of the Lizard appears in the sky. "That must be where Akiza is," Yusei says, running towards the geoglyph. Trudge follows him closely, but I decide to walk. More accurately limp, since my side, while the pain wasn't as bad, it still hurt like crazy.

It took a lot longer to get there while limping, so by the time I got to where Akiza is, the duel was already over. The first thing I notice is that the sun is already under the horizon.

The second thing is that a bright light is coming from the City. The light is in the shape of a Condor. _Is this what Dad meant when he said there were three left?_ I think.

_Mistress, that Condor Mark is no good_, _Celestial Knight-Star_ says. _Not only that, but the King of the Netherworld is rising. If he reaches the Condor Mark, it will mean the end of both our worlds._

I slowly limp down to my friends. "Sky, that Condor Mark is really bad," Luna says.

"I know, _Celestial Knight-Star_ already told me," I say. A small tremor shakes the ground. From the direction of the Reactor, a large mass of muck appears. The muck slowly forms a dragon-like creature. The creature slowly starts crawling to the Condor Mark.

"That thing can't reach the Condor Mark!" both Luna and I say at the same time. Then Luna's, Akiza's, and Yusei's Marks light up, and a crimson bubble surrounds us. The crimson bubble brightens, and I shield my eyes.

**XXX**

Yusei: And that seems to be the end of the chapter.

Sky: _Another_ cliffhanger? Maybe Crow's right about Shimmering-Sky's mind being twisted.

*Leo dashes through the room again, but is caught by Luna*

Luna: Leo, just say you're sorry and give back the popcorn.

Leo: Aw, the popcorn's too good!

Me: *Snatches bowl from Leo* That's not even my popcorn, it's my brother's. And if he finds out that you're the one who ate it, prepare to be bothered for the rest of your life.

Leo: Luna already does that.

Me: Oh, I don't mean _that_ kind of annoying. I mean 'Drive people insane' annoying.

Leo: Oh. I'm sorry for eating the popcorn then.

Me: Thank you. Anywho, please review my story! Thank you all who have reviewed! And remember, I am open to flames!


	29. Chapter 29: The Condor's Advent

Me: Alright, I'm feeling the flow again!

Yuma: *Appears* Quit copying me!

Me: Remember my blowtorch?

Yuma: It doesn't scare me anymore.

Me: How about this? *Whispers something into Yuma's ear*

Yuma: *Eyes widen* O-Okay, you can use it. *Disappears*

Sky: I'm guessing you blackmailed him?

Me: Maybe I did.

Sky *Facepalms* Just start the chapter already.

Me: Okay! I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5ds or Reshiram but I do own Sky and her Deck. Enjoy!

Chapter 29

The light dims as I lower my arm. I'm no longer in the abandoned amusement park; I am now standing in front of the Stairway to the Dragon Star. The center of the Condor Mark. The Signers are all here, along with Leo, Trudge, Mina, and Crow. Our Duel Runners are here as well.

"What just happened? And why is that staircase thingy from Goodwin's mansion here?" Leo asks. A small chuckle comes from the top of the staircase. Rex Goodwin comes out, dressed in his normal uniform.

"Congratulations, you have defeated the Dark Signers," he says. "Although it seems you failed to close the gateway to the Netherworld in time."

"Does this mean the world-" Yusei begins.

"This world is done for," Goodwin says. He stares out to where the King of the Netherworld is approaching. "It is time to start the Divine Ritual." Goodwin pulls out a strange canister. All I can see through it is the Mark of the Dragon's Head.

The Mark lights up along with my friends'. "What are you doing with that?" Yusei demands. Rex simply turns around. The Mark of the Condor appears on his back. With a flash of purple light, Goodwin undergoes a transformation. He now has dark purple marks over his body, his shirt is gone, and he is very muscular.

"You're a Dark Signer?" I ask. _That's great, now both people my parents trusted are evil,_ I think.

"Not just a _Dark_ Signer, by using my brother's arm I will have the power of light and darkness!" Goodwin says. The metal arm he has falls off, and Goodwin takes the arm out of the canister. He attaches the arm to where the metal one had been.

While he does that, my friends' Marks light up, and it apparently causes them pain. "Hmph, quit your useless struggling," Goodwin says. The Marks then stop causing my friends pain.

"Sorry Goodwin, we don't let wing-nuts like you just do whatever you please," Crow says. "You'll have to go through me first!"

"And me. I like this world as it is," Jack says.

"Count me in too," Yusei says. "I'll protect this world no matter what!"

_I would join in, but I don't think my side can take it_, I think. "Good luck you three," I say. My friends get on their Duel Runners.

"Very well then," Goodwin says. "This will be a three-on-one Turbo Duel, so I start with 12000 Life Points and none of us can attack on our first turn." The staircase then rises even higher and the Condor Mark tilts downwards. The three duelists race onto it.

**Goodwin's Life Points: 12000, Jack's Life Points: 4000, Yusei's Life Points: 4000, Crow's Life Points: 4000** "If you don't mind, I'll take the first move," Crow says. **All Duelists S.C. 1**

"Alright, I Summon the Tuner _Blackwing-Mistral the Silver Shield (ATK 100, DEF 1800)_ to the field in Attack mode. Now since one of my Blackwings is on the field, _Blackwing-Bora the Spear (ATK 1700 DEF 800)_ can join the flock! I end my turn with a face-down," Crow says.

"Prepare to lose, it's my turn!" Jack shouts. **All Duelists S.C. 1** "_Mad Archfiend (ATK 1800, DEF 0)_, join the fight! With one card face-down, that ends my turn," Jack finishes.

Before Yusei takes his turn, he asks Goodwin why he became a Dark Signer. "It's because of fate," Goodwin replies. "5000 years from now, new Signers will be born and face the darkness. 5000 years after that, it will happen again. The cycle is never-ending."

"But I intend to break it," Goodwin says. "With the power of the Netherworld I will destroy the world, and with the power of the Crimson Dragon I will rebuild it! I will become a God!"

_Becoming a God? Is that even possible?_ I think.

_It is not completely possible, but with both powers, it would seem like he is_, Reshiram says. _He would be able to shape fate as he desires._

_My friends will stop him_, I think. "Bring it to him Yusei!" I shout. Whether or not he heard me, Yusei takes his turn.

"You won't win Goodwin, it's my turn!" he says. **All Duelists S.C. 3** "I'm Summoning _Max Warrior (ATK 1800, DEF 400)_ in Attack mode! I'll also end my turn with one face-down," Yusei finishes.

"You are mistaken Yusei, I will twist fate and win. It's my turn!" Goodwin shouts. **All Duelists S.C. 4** "Since I control no monsters but you do, I can Special Summon _Oracle of the Sun (ATK 1000, DEF 2000)_ to the field! I will also Summon the Tuner _Fire Ant Ascator (ATK 700, DEF 1300)_," Goodwin continues.

"Now the Level 3 _Fire Ant Ascator_ gives the Level 5 _Oracle of the Sun_ a Tune-up! _When the Sun rises, it will illuminate all darkness! May you flood in, light!_ Synchro Summon! Show yourself, _Sun Dragon Inti (ATK 3000, DEF 2500)!_" Goodwin shouts.

"I'm not done yet," Goodwin adds. "I banish _Fire Ant Ascator_ in order to Special Summon _Weeping Idol (ATK 0, DEF 500)_ and pay 1000 Life Points in order to Special Summon _Dark Tuner-Dark Goddess Witaka_ _(ATK 0, DEF 0)_!"

"_Dark Tuner-Dark Goddess Witaka_ can change its Level to that of a Synchro Monster I control," Goodwin says. _Dark Goddess Witaka Level -8_. "Now I'll Dark Tune my Negative Level 8 _Dark Tuner-Dark Goddess Witaka_ with my Level 2 _Weeping Idol_!"

"_When the moon is full in the darkness, the whispering of the Devil will be heard! Entice them over to death!_ Dark Synchro! Show yourself, _Moon Dragon Quilla (ATK 2500, DEF 2000)!_" Goodwin chants.

_Another Synchro Summon? Only this time it's a Dark Synchro_, I think.

"I end my turn with two face-down cards, and that also means _Moon Dragon Quilla_ is destroyed," Goodwin says. The bluish dragon fades downwards.

"I may not know much about fate or whatnot, but I'll surpass you just like the Legendary Man from Satellite did!" Crow says.

"You know that he lost his left arm because of what he did," Goodwin says.

Crow seems puzzled for a few seconds as he starts his turn. **All Duelists S.C. 5** "First up I activate my _Speed Spell-Tune Up 123_! I roll a dice and depending on what I roll, _Mistral the Silver Shield's_ Level will increase!" Crow says.

The dice rolls. "Alright, it stopped on two so that means one more Level for my monster," Crow says. _Blackwing-Mistral the Silver Shield Level 3._ "Have you heard the saying 'Birds of a feather flock together'? Well my two Blackwings will be doing that right now! I Tune my Level 3 _Blackwing-Mistral the Silver Shield_ with my Level 4 _Blackwing-Bora the Spear_!"

"_Darkened gales, become the wings which will soar to heavens! _Synchro Summon! _Blackwing Armor Master (ATK 2500, DEF 1500)!"_ Crow chants.

"Nice job Crow!" I shout. _He stands a chance with his ace monster_, I think.

"Seems like one of _Armor Master's_ buddies wants to join him; I Summon _Blackwing-Elphin the Raven (ATK 2200, DEF 1200)_ in Attack mode! See, I can Normal Summon _Elphin_ without a sacrifice if I control a 'Blackwing' monster," Crow says.

"_Blackwing Armor Master_, why don't you show _Sun Dragon Inti_ your power? Attack it with _Black Whirlwind_!" Crow shouts. _Blackwing Armor Master_ strikes the orange-colored dragon, but both monsters remain on the field. There is also a wedge sticking out of _Sun Dragon Inti_.

"Lemme explain; _Blackwing Armor Master_ can't be destroyed in battle and I take no damage when he battles. After Damage Calculation, a Wedge Counter is places on my opponent's monster. If I remove it, the monster's ATK and DEF become zero," Crow says.

The wedge sinks deeper until _Sun Dragon Inti_ is almost fully broken in half. "Now _Blackwing-Elphin the Raven_, finish up what _Armor Master_ started!" Crow shouts. **Goodwin's Life Points: 8800, S.C. 2**

Goodwin simply laughs. "It is an unforgivable offense to try to uproot a God," he says. "The man from that Daedalus Bridge legend learned this by losing his left arm."

"Are you the man from the legend?" Yusei asks.

Goodwin ignores the question. "_Sun Dragon Inti's _effect activates; when it is destroyed in battle, the monster it battled with is destroyed and my opponent takes damage equal to that monster's ATK," Goodwin says.

**Crow's Life Points: 1800, S.C. 2** "Now that _Inti_ is gone, _Quilla_ can come back out," Goodwin continues. The bluish dragon returns to the field. "The Legendary Man failed to change his destiny because he was an ordinary man. In order to change fate one must become a God!"

Goodwin holds out the arm with the Mark of the Dragon on it. It glows brightly, and the other Marks of the Dragon disappear from my friends' arms. They reappear on Goodwin's chest. "I am the ultimate God!" Goodwin shouts.

"That makes it all the better to smack some sense into you," Crow says. "I end my turn with two face-down cards." Jack pulls up in front of Crow.

"I don't care about destiny or bonds," he says. "I'll surpass it all! It's my turn!" **Jack and Yusei S.C. 6, Crow and Goodwin S.C. 3** "First up I'll place one card face-down. Next I Summon _Magic Hole Golem (ATK 0 DEF 2000)_ in Defense mode! Using its effect, I can halve _Mad Archfiend's _ATK and allow it to attack you directly!" Jack shouts.

_Mad Archfiend ATK 900_. "Attack Goodwin directly with _Bone Shard Shower_!" Jack orders. **Goodwin's Life Points: 7900**

"Hey Jack, you can't get rid of our bonds that easily," Crow says. "I activate my Trap _Shadow Dance_! When someone takes damage due to a direct attack, this Trap inflicts 1000 more points of damage to that person!"

**Goodwin's Life Points: 6900, S.C. 2** "Thanks Crow, you've let me activate my own Trap _Rising Rush_! When someone takes damage from a card effect, I can Special Summon one Tuner from my hand," Yusei says. "I choose my _Junk Synchron (ATK 1300, DEF 500)_!"

"I end my turn," Jack says.

"It's my turn then!" Yusei says. **Yusei and Jack S.C. 7, Crow S.C. 4, Goodwin S.C. 3** "I Tune my Level 3 _Junk Synchron _with my Level 4 _Max Warrior! Gathering roars turn into an echoing arrow which tears through the sky! Become the path its light shines upon! _Synchro Summon! Show yourself,_ Junk Archer (ATK 2300, DEF 2000)!_" Yusei chants.

"Now I activate my archer's special power; once per turn he can banish one monster my opponent controls until the End Phase," Yusei says. "_Bull's Eye Banishing_!" _Junk Archer_ shoots a glowing arrow at _Moon Dragon Quilla._ _Quilla_ disappears into a gray cloud.

"Now that your dragon is out of the way, _Junk Archer _can attack you directly!" Yusei shouts. "Go, _Scrap Arrow_!"

Goodwin laughs as the arrow flies towards him. "I activate my Trap _Offering to the Immortals_! This card negates a direct attack, Special Summons two _Ceremonial Tokens_, and lets me add an 'Earthbound Immortal' from my Deck to my hand," he says.

"He has his Earthbound Immortal now," Luna says.

"Yeah, and who knows what it can do," I say. "But there's no way those three will lose to it!"

"I set two cards face-down and end my turn," Yusei says. _Moon Dragon Quilla_ returns to the field.

"Then it's time for this duel to be over! It's my turn!" Goodwin says. **Yusei and Jack S.C. 8, Crow S.C. 5, Goodwin S.C. 4** The stone heart appears over the Condor Mark. "I release my two tokens in order to awaken the strongest Earthbound Immortal! Reveal yourself, _Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca_!" Goodwin shouts.

Many lights are absorbed into the stone heart. After it had absorbed at least 100, the heart explodes. A giant black condor hovers over the staircase. _Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca ATK 1._

The King of the Netherworld, already halfway across the sea surrounding Satellite, lets loose a mighty screech. Small condors made of the same goo that the King is appear next to it. The small condors fly towards the geoglyph and attempt to knock my friends off of it.

"Oh no you don't!" I shout. I pull my Duel Disk off of my Duel Runner and quickly Summon _Celestial Dragon-Quasar._ My dragon blasts several of the condors. Akiza and Luna also Summon their dragons, and they help mine fight off the condors.

"Goodwin, our bonds as friends will surpass fate," Yusei says.

"I'm afraid that won't work," Goodwin says. "I activate _Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca's _special ability; by skipping my Battle Phase I can lower one of my opponents' Life Points to one. Say goodbye to most of your Life Points Yusei."

"I won't let you do that!" Crow says. "Just like the Legendary Man I won't give up! I activate my Trap _Life Exchange_, which forces the damage to go to me instead of Yusei."

The blast along with one of the condors knocks Crow off of the track. "Don't give up Crow!" I shout. Crow switches his Duel Runner into flight mode and lands back on the track. His Runner is in no condition to duel anymore.

**Crow's Life Points: 1** "The second effect of _Life Exchange_ destroys _Moon Dragon Quilla_," Crow says. "And I activate my Trap _Blackwing-Bombardment_, releasing _Blackwing Armor Master_."

"There, our bonds haven't broken yet," Crow says.

"Your useless effort only lets me bring back _Sun Dragon Inti_," Goodwin says. "I end my turn with a face-down."

**To be continued…**

Me: Yeah, I think the chapter is long enough now.

Sky: You can't just stop it like that!

Me: Sure I can! It's actual authors who can't do that.

Yusei: You technically _are_ a real author. You're publishing this on the Internet.

Me: When I mean actual authors, I mean the people who got their books published and the books are in stores.

Sky: Oh. Well hurry up anyways; you have to put another chapter up soon!

Me: Fine! Okay readers, please review this story and also read the new one-shot I put up called Trouble With Soda. Thanks for reading my story and for reviewing if you have!


	30. Chapter 30: Majestic Star Dragon

Me: I've got the Internet again!

Sky: Did your dad hide it again?

Me: No, my brother kept hogging it. And I found my Pokémon Black Version that I lost last year and I was playing that in most of the free moments.

Sky: *Facepalms* Just start the chapter already.

Me: Okay! I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5ds but I do own Sky. This chapter wraps up the second season (first if you go by the Japanese version) so I'm happy!

Chapter 30

"It's my turn then!" Jack shouts. I can hear anger in his voice. **Yusei and Jack S.C. 9, Goodwin S.C. 5** "I Summon the Tuner _Sinister Sprocket (ATK 400, DEF 0)! _Now it Tunes with my Level 3 _Magic Hole Golem_ and Level 4 _Mad Archfiend!_" the blonde continues.

"_The ruler's heartbeats will now file through here! Take witness to its creation-shaking power!_ Synchro Summon! My very soul, _Red Dragon Archfiend (ATK 3000, DEF 2000)_!" Jack chants.

"Now I activate my Trap _Half Straight_, so now by halving _Red Dragon Archfiend's _ATK, it can attack you directly as long as you have a monster with more power," Jack says.

_Red Dragon Archfiend's_ fist starts glowing. "That is where you are wrong Jack," Goodwin says. "I activate _Sun Dragon Inti's_ second effect; it can reduce its own ATK to zero."

_Red Dragon Archfiend ATK 1500, Sun Dragon Inti ATK 0_. "Jack, use my Trap card!" Yusei says. "I activate the Continuous Trap _Scrubbed Raid_, and if I send it to the Graveyard I can end the Battle Phase."

"I can handle this myself Yusei," Jack says. "Continue your attack _Red Dragon Archfiend!_ Attack _Sun Dragon Inti _with _Absolute Powerforce!_" Both dragons explode, since _Sun Dragon Inti's _effect destroys _Red Dragon Archfiend._

**Goodwin's Life Points: 5400 S.C. 4, Jack's Life Points: 2500 S.C. 8** "When _Inti_ leaves the field, _Quilla_ can return," Goodwin says.

"Then I set one card face-down to end my turn," Jack says.

"It's my turn then," Yusei says. **Goodwin S.C 5, Jack S.C 9, Yusei S.C 10** "I activate _Junk Archer's_ ability, so say goodbye to _Moon Dragon Quilla_!" Yusei shouts.

"I will be saying goodbye to my dragon, but not in this way," Goodwin says. "I activate my Trap _Destruct Potion_! Now I can destroy _Moon Dragon Quilla_ and gain Life Points equal to its ATK."

**Goodwin's Life Points: 7900** "And with the moon destroyed, the sun rises again!" Goodwin exclaims. _Sun Dragon Inti_ returns to the field.

"I end my turn," Yusei says. I guess there wasn't anything more for him to do. Another wave of condors tries to attack Jack and Yusei, and I had to have _Celestial Dragon-Sol_ help the other three dragons.

Goodwin sees that the King of the Netherworld is drawing closer. "When he reaches the shrine, you will all be sacrificed and darkness will reign!" Goodwin says.

"We'll still keep fighting no matter what. There's no way we'll give up," Yusei says. Jack agrees with Yusei.

"If that's how you want it, it's my turn!" Goodwin says. **Goodwin S.C. 6, Jack S.C. 10, Yusei S.C. 11**

"Before you do anything, I activate the Continuous Trap _Fiendish Chain_," Jack says. "Now _Sun Dragon Inti _can't attack or activate its effect."

_Good, if _Inti_ had attacked it would have wiped out the rest of Jack's Life Points_, I think. _But he still has the Earthbound Immortal to worry about._

"Hmph, you may have stopped that way, but _Wiraqocha Rasca_ can still activate its effect," Goodwin says. **Jack's Life Points: 1** _Fiendish Chain_ is destroyed since Jack has less than 1000 Life Points.

"Feel the despair of death!" Goodwin shouts. The King of the Netherworld stops moving and lets loose a large beam of energy. It makes its way past our dragons and strikes Jack. His Runner crashes, excluding him from the duel.

"Yusei! Even though my Runner isn't next to you my feeling are!" Jack shouts.

"Jack's right; even though our Life Points are at one, our feelings are at 10000!" Crow adds.

"You have our feelings as well Yusei!" I shout. "Show Goodwin the power of bonds!"

"You can do it Yusei!" Leo adds, hoping all the encouragement we give Yusei will let him win.

"Trying to lessen the fear of death?" Goodwin asks. "It won't do any good. I end my turn with a face-down."

"Our bonds will bring forth victory! It's my turn!" Yusei shouts. **Goodwin S.C. 7, Yusei S.C. 12** "_Junk Archer_, show _Sun Dragon Inti_ the way off the field," Yusei says.

"That trick won't work I'm afraid," Goodwin says. "I activate my Counter Trap _Passion of Baimasse_, which negates the effect and destroys your _Junk Archer_."

_Junk Archer_ shatters into bits and pieces. "I Summon _Shield Warrior (ATK 800, DEF 1600)_ in Defense mode and set one card face-down to end my turn," Yusei says.

"Is _Shield Warrior_ your friends' feelings?" Goodwin asks. "It doesn't matter; before _Wiraqocha Rasca_ defense will do no good. It's my turn!" **Goodwin S.C. 8, Yusei S.C. 12**

"_Wiraqocha Rasca_, show that Signer the despair of death! _Polestar Obey_!" Goodwin shouts. **Yusei's Life Points: 1, S.C. 9** His Runner wobbles a little, but Yusei manages to stay upright.

"I won't give up so long as there is a flicker of hope!" Yusei says. "So long as my bonds exist, there will always be hope!"

"Very well then, I end my turn," Goodwin says.

"My turn then!" Yusei shouts. **Goodwin S.C. 9, Yusei S.C. 10** "I activate my _Speed Spell-Angel Baton_! As long as I have two Speed Counters, I can draw two cards so long as I discard a card afterwards," Yusei says.

_I hope the cards are good enough to turn this duel around,_ I think. Yusei draws the two cards, grins slightly, and discards one of them.

"I Summon the Tuner _Debris Dragon (ATK 1000, DEF 2000)_ to the field, and using his ability I can bring back the _Sonic Chick_ I just discarded. Now my Level 4 _Debris Dragon_ will Tune with my Level 3 _Shield Warrior_ and Level 1 _Sonic Chick!_" Yusei shouts.

"_Clustering wishes will become a new shining star! Become the path its light shines upon!_ Synchro Summon! Take flight, _Stardust Dragon (ATK 2500, DEF 2000)_!" Yusei chants.

The silver dragon appears in a bright flash of light. "That's how you do it Yusei!" I shout. _I hope _Stardust Dragon_ evens up the playing field,_ I think.

"Your monster is too weak," Goodwin says. "_Sun Dragon Inti_ is stronger."

"I'm well aware of that," Yusei says. "I activate the second effect of Crow's _Blackwing-Bombardment_ Trap card; by sending it to the Graveyard, one Synchro Monster I control gains ATK equal to the ATK of the monster Tributed for the first effect!"

"Show him how we do it Yusei!" Crow says. A ghost version of _Blackwing Armor Master_ appears in front of _Stardust Dragon_. _Stardust Dragon ATK 5000_.

"Now _Stardust Dragon_ will attack _Sun Dragon Inti_! _Cosmic Flare!_" Yusei shouts. **Goodwin's Life Points: 5900, S.C. 7**

"_Sun Dragon Inti's_ ability activates, destroying your monster and ending this duel!" Goodwin says.

"I don't think so," Yusei says. "I counter with _Stardust Dragon's _ability; I can release it in order to negate a destruction effect! Go, _Victim's Sanctuary_!"

"Fine, but since _Inti_ is gone, _Quilla_ comes back," Goodwin says.

"I have to disagree again," Yusei says. "I play Jack's Continuous Trap _Conquest of the Supreme Ruler!_ When a Synchro Monster destroys another Synchro Monster in battle, I can send this card to the Grave and negate the Summoning of a monster!"

"The chain is finally broken," Luna says.

"That means he has one less thing to worry about," Akiza says.

"Yeah, but that Earthbound Immortal is the one that means business," I say. "I'm sure Yusei will find a way to bring it down," I add, as Leo thought I was saying that Yusei was going to lose.

"I end my turn, and because of that _Stardust Dragon_ returns to the field," Yusei says.

"It's my turn then," Goodwin says. **Goodwin S.C. 8, Yusei S.C. 11**

"Have you forgotten about Roman?" Yusei asks, seemingly out of the blue. The question takes Goodwin by surprise. "You went against fate when you rode off the Daedalus Bridge, and you were doing it to reach your brother," Yusei says.

"That doesn't matter anymore," Goodwin says. "The King of the Netherworld draws near, and since your friends cannot ride, if I defeat you the ritual is over!"

"_Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca_, attack Yusei's Life Points directly!" Goodwin orders. The giant condor prepares a blast.

"Yusei, don't forget about your Trap card," Jack says.

_What Trap card?_ I think. I view the field with my Runner's computer. _Scrubbed Raid_ remains on the field. _That card will end the Battle Phase_, I realize.

"Thanks Jack," Yusei says. He must have forgotten about his card. "I activate the effect of _Scrubbed Raid!_ By sending it to the Graveyard, I can force the end of the Battle Phase," Yusei says.

"Grr, then I activate my Trap _Meteor Flare_, so by discarding two cards from my hand you take 2000 points of damage," Goodwin says.

"And I counter your Trap with my own known as _Joint Future_! By discarding one card I can negate the activation and effect of a Spell or Trap card and return it to the owner's Deck," Yusei says.

Goodwin ends his turn with nothing else to do. Before he takes his turn, Yusei asks Goodwin if he really wants to become a God.

"I do, but first I must surpass everything and everyone," Goodwin replies.

"That would be impossible then," Yusei says. "Some things are impossible to forget."

_That is definitely true,_ I think.

"You know what I think? I think you aren't trying to surpass fate, but go against it with Roman," Yusei says. "Isn't that a bond?"

Goodwin pauses, and the Mark of the Dragon leaves his chest. Luna and Akiza's Marks return. Luna puts her hand to it. "Crow's a Signer now," she says.

"Yes, and Yusei needs our help," Akiza says. The Marks of the Dragon disappear again.

"It's my turn!" Yusei shouts. **Goodwin S.C. 9, Yusei S.C. 12** "I Summon the Tuner _Majestic Dragon (ATK 0, DEF 0)_ in Attack mode! I also activate the effect of the _Stardust Xiaolong _in my Graveyard; since I control a face-up _Stardust Dragon_ I can Special Summon it," Yusei continues.

"Now I Tune my Level 1 _Majestic Dragon_ with my Level 8 _Stardust Dragon_ and Level 1 _Stardust Xiaolong_! _Gathering starlights will enlighten a new miracle! Become the path its light shines upon!_ Synchro Summon! Arrive in light, _Majestic Star Dragon (ATK 3800, DEF 3000)!_" Yusei chants.

_Since when has he had that card?_ I think.

_I believe he's had it since his second duel with your friend Kalin,_ Reshiram says. _It is a powerful one._

"I activate _Majestic Star Dragon's _special ability; once per turn it can negate the abilities of one monster my opponent controls," Yusei says. "Now I can choose _Wiraqocha Rasca _as an attack target. But first I'll play my Trap _Synchro Baton_, so now _Majestic Star Dragon_ gains 600 ATK for every Synchro Monster in my Graveyard."

_Majestic Star Dragon ATK 6200_. "Go now _Majestic Star Dragon_! Attack _Wiraqocha Rasca_ with _Star Shine Shred_ and end this duel!" Yusei shouts. _Majestic Star Dragon_ flies through the Earthbound Immortal. The Immortal explodes and _Majestic Star Dragon_ proceeds to destroy the King of the Netherworld.

**Goodwin's Life Points: 0** When the King of the Netherworld is destroyed, there is a bright flash of light and I have to shield my eyes. When I lower my arm the Stairway to the Dragon Star is gone along with the Condor Mark.

But Crow, Jack, and Yusei are nowhere to be seen. "Where did they go?" Leo asks. "We won right?"

_Do you know where they are Reshiram?_ I ask.

_Yes, your friends are safe on the shore of Satellite,_ Reshiram replies.

"They're in Satellite," I say to Leo. "I think it's time to connect it to the City," I add.

"That's what Goodwin was going to do after this was over," Akiza says. "Before he was a Dark Signer he promised Yusei that he would."

"Well then we'll just have to do it ourselves," I say. Then the sun rises, filling the surroundings with light. It reveals that the people absorbed by _Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca_ have returned. They slowly leave the Director's island.

**Days later…**

"Any news from Yusei or the others?" Luna asks.

"Yeah, they've gathered a bunch of people who are ready to complete the bridge," I say. "Yusei and I think it should be done within six months."

"So you mean they aren't here?" someone asks. At the table next to us, an old man pulls off a disguise, revealing the reporter Carly. "I seriously smell a scoop."

"Why don't you interview yourself?" Leo asks. "You _were_ one of the Dark Signers after all."

Carly sighs. "I don't remember anything though," she says. "Nobody does except for you guys."

"That's good then," I say. "I don't think anyone should remember that."

"At least everyone has returned," Akiza says.

**XXX**

Me: That ends the chapter.

Yusei: Seems a good way to end it.

Sky: Yeah, you didn't end in a cliffhanger this time.

Me: Meh, I don't think I could have done that even if I tried.

Leo: Can I have some popcorn now?

Me: Wha-No, the popcorn isn't even mine!

Leo: Please?

Me: No. If you take some I will lock you in the closet with Jack, Crow, and Kalin.

Sky: So _that's_ where those three are.

Me: I can't let them see my Trouble With Soda fanfic. They'd try to kill me.

Sky: I can see that happening.

Me: That's nice. Anywho, please review! Thank you to all who have reviewed in the past or plan on reviewing later! Later!


	31. Chapter 31: Ghost

Me: I'm back again! *Dodges a thrown tomato*

Sky: Where have you been?

Me: Monday I was still working on this chapter, Tuesday I can't do anything because I have dance, Wednesday I was _really_ sick, and yesterday I had to go to MPA and then I got sick again. So I've decided to work on this now!

Sky: Okay then… *Backs away slowly*

Me: Meh, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5ds or whatnot, but I do own Sky and her Deck. I also made a few cards I thought would fit into Ghost's Deck. Enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 31

Six months have passed since the Dark Signers' defeat. About a week ago the bridge connecting the cities was finally finished. So much has happened since then; the main thing being that a tournament has been announced. The World Racing Grand Prix, a tournament where teams of Turbo Duelists will face each other.

Yusei, Jack, Crow, and I have been working to be one of the teams in the WRGP. The main thing we've been working on is the engine program, and let's just say it hasn't been going too well.

"BOOM!" goes the fourth engine, filling our small apartment with smoke. As I open the window, a crowd of people has already gathered around outside.

"Everything's fine, go mind your own business," I say. Then I spot Zora, the landlady, angrily walking towards the apartment. "Zora's coming," I say, turning around.

My friends quickly pick up as many pieces of the practice Runner as they can before Zora forces the door open.

"Why did I even agree to let you rascals live here?" Zora asks herself. "You make too much noise and attract so much attention." She pauses and kicks a stray Ramen cup. "And you don't even clean up after yourselves," she adds.

"Sorry Zora," Yusei says. "We'll get the engine right sometime."

"Oh that's okay Yusei," Zora says, a bit less aggravated. She then leaves as quickly as she came.

"How come Zora likes Yusei better than us?" Crow asks.

"Who doesn't like Yusei?" I ask in return. "He's quiet, smart, and actually cleans up after himself." I pick a banana peel up off the ground and put it in the trash.

Then the door opens again, Mina and Trudge walking in. "Do you want something?" I ask. "'Cause if you do, we've got our hands full."

"Signing up for the WRGP, are you?" Trudge asks, viewing the remains of the practice Runner.

"Maybe once we get the engine right," Yusei says.

"You know that _Speed World_ is being replaced with _Speed World 2_," Mina says.

"What Turbo Duelist doesn't?" Jack asks. "So what is it you wanted us for?"

"There's a Turbo Duelist roaming around, challenging people to duels in the middle of the night," Trudge says. "And he makes them crash if they lose."

"Oh yeah, I've heard of him," Crow says. "People started calling the guy Ghost."

"That's the guy," Trudge says. "We've tried to catch him, but every officer that goes after him ends up in the hospital. We were thinking that you four could help us."

"Sure I'll help-" I begin.

"No, we have our hands busy with the WRGP," Crow says. "So unless the WRGP ends up being cancelled or something, we won't be helping you. Have a good day." Crow shoves the two Sector Securities out the door and bolts it shut.

"What was that about Crow?" I ask. "We could bring this 'Ghost' to justice."

"It's like I told Trudge and Mina; we have our hands full enough with the WRGP preparations. If we get hurt dueling Ghost, we won't have time to finish anything," Crow says.

"You're just afraid that since Sector Security can't beat Ghost, you can't," Jack says.

"That's not it, I just don't want anyone getting hurt," Crow says.

"You know, if nobody stops Ghost, then people are getting hurt," I pipe in. Crow ignores me, and both him and Jack start arguing.

**That night…**

Crow left for his shift as a delivery man about an hour ago. Yusei and I have been trying to fine-tune the fifth engine since then, and Jack has just been sitting off to the side watching us.

Suddenly the computer screen goes fuzzy and Crow's face appears on it. "Guys, the Ghost got Trudge," Crow says. "Come to the hospital now!"

The three of us make it to the hospital within minutes. Crow and Mina are already there. "What exactly happened?" Yusei asks.

"We ordered a bunch of Duel Chasers to try to find Ghost, and Trudge went with them," Mina says. "He lost to Ghost."

A stretcher is then rushed past us with Trudge on it. "Synchro's are useless against Ghost," he says before he enters the operating room.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jack asks. But the only ones with that answer are in other hospital rooms.

"I guess we can go home now," I say. Crow punches the wall instead.

"We can't just leave it like that," he says.

"I say we do what Trudge wanted to do in the first place; catch Ghost," Yusei says. Everyone agrees, and we split up on our search. After riding around for about an hour, I was starting to think Ghost wasn't going to show. I was wrong, as he silently pulls up behind me.

"You're Ghost, right?" I ask. The Turbo Duelist nods. "Alright then, let's duel!" I say. I quickly contact my friends to tell them I found Ghost.

"Duel Mode: Engaged, Auto Pilot Standby. Awaiting Central Grid Official Authorization… Authorization complete. All non-combat vehicles please leave the Combat Lane," a computerized voice says. Ghost and I leave the highway and get on the Combat Lane.

"Activating the _Speed World 2_ Field Spell!" the two of us say in unison. A strange light pattern appears under our Duel Runners, but quickly disappears. **Ghost's Life Points: 4000, Sky's Life Points: 4000**

"I'll go first," I say. **Ghost S.C. 1, Sky S.C. 1** "First up I Summon _Celestial Comet (ATK 0, DEF 1000)_ to the field in Defense mode! Now since I control a 'Celestial' monster I can Special Summon _Celestial Wizard_ from my hand. I end my turn with three face-downs," I finish.

"Then it's my turn," Ghost says. **Ghost S.C. 2, Sky S.C. 2** "I Summon _Wise Core (ATK 0, DEF 0)_ and set two cards face-down to end my turn," he says.

"It's my turn!" I shout. **Ghost S.C. 3, Sky S.C. 3** "I Summon the Tuner _Celestial Synchron (ATK 700, DEF 1800)_ in Attack position. Now my Level 3 _Celestial Synchron _Tunes with my Level 4 _Celestial Wizard! When night comes to a close, a lone light rises to expel the darkness! _Synchro Summon! Arise,_ Celestial Dragon-Sol_ _(ATK 2700, DEF 1500)!_" I chant.

My dragon appears in a flash of light and Ghost frowns. "I activate my Trap _Spark Breaker_, which destroys my monster," Ghost says.

_Why would he want to destroy his own monster?_ I think.

"Wondering why I did that? So that I can activate _Wise Core's_ ability of course. When _Wise Core_ is destroyed by a card effect I can Special Summon 1 _Meklord Emperor Wisel, Wisel Top, Wisel Guard, Wisel Attack,_ and _Wisel Carrier_ from my hand or Deck," Ghost says.

Five different mechanical monsters appear and they combine. _Meklord Emperor Wisel Infinity ATK 2500._ "My monster still has the higher ATK," I say. "_Celestial Dragon-Sol,_ attack _Wisel Top_ with _Solar Flare Blast!_"

My dragon shoots a large fireball at the giant monster's head. Strangely, the flames hit one of the machine's arms, destroying it instead of the head. "_Wisel Guard_ can switch the target of an attack to it," Ghost says.

"Well then I activate _Celestial Dragon-Sol's_ ability; once per turn I can banish one 'Celestial' card from my Graveyard in order to destroy one card on the field. I choose _Meklord Emperor Wisel_," I say.

"I counter with my Trap _Wise C3_, which sends my _Wisel Carrier _to the Grave in order to Special Summon _Wisel Carrier 3_ from my hand," Ghost says. "And now _Wisel Carrier 3_'s effect activates, cancelling out your dragon's effect."

"I end my turn," I say. There wasn't anything else I could do.

"Time for you to feel the wrath of my Meklord Emperor," Ghost says. **Ghost S.C. 4, Sky S.C. 4** "First off I Summon _Wisel Guard 3 (ATK 0, DEF 2000)_ in Defense mode," Ghost continues. A new arm appears and connects itself to the giant monster.

"Now I release _Wisel Attack_ in order to Special Summon _Wisel Attack 3_ _(ATK 1600, DEF 0)_ in Attack position," Ghost continues. The monster's other arm is upgraded as well. _Meklord Emperor Wisel Infinity ATK 2900_.

"This is the end for your dragon," Ghost says. "Meklord Emperors are, simply put, Synchro Killers. _Meklord Emperor Wisel's_ ability activates, absorbing your Synchro Monster and its ATK."

_Meklord Emperor Wisel ATK 5600_. "This is the end of you! When _Wisel Attack 3_ battles, it inflicts piercing damage!" Ghost says. "Now _Meklord Emperor Wisel Infinity_, attack _Celestial Comet!_ _Stainless Steel Slash!_"

"I'm afraid I have to interrupt this attack with a classic," I say. "I activate my Trap _Negate Attack_, which forces the end of the Battle Phase."

_At least this buys me another turn,_ I think. _But can I turn the duel around in a single turn?_

"You are lucky human," Ghost says. "I end my turn." Just then Yusei, Jack, and Crow arrive alongside us.

"Sky, what is that huge monster?" Yusei asks. Ghost begins laughing.

"Yusei Fudo, this huge monster is my _Meklord Emperor Wisel Infinity_," Ghost says. He laughs again. "You're even more pathetic in person. And to think that you defeated the Dark Signers," he says.

"You know about that?" I ask.

"Maybe I do," Ghost replies. "Take your turn so that I can finish you off quickly."

"I'll take my turn alright, but it'll turn this duel around," I say, drawing my card. **Ghost S.C. 5, Sky S.C. 5** I look at the card. _Yes, this is just what I needed,_ I think.

"I activate the _Speed Spell-Celestial Fusion_! When I have at least 5 Speed Counters, I can send the Fusion Material Monsters listed on a 'Celestial' Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck or the field to the Graveyard in order to Fusion Summon that Fusion Monster. So I send the _Celestial Dragon-Sol_ from your field and the _Celestial Dragon-Moon _from my Extra Deck to the Graveyard. Light shines brighter as I Fusion Summon _Celestial Dragon-Dawn (ATK 3500, DEF 2500)_!" I shout.

After a small flash of light, a new dragon appears on the field. It has six wings, three on each side of its back, that are a dark purple color. The dragon's body is a dark orange, with streaks of the same purple color covering its arms and legs. The dragon's eyes are a deep red.

_Meklord Emperor Wisel Infinity ATK 2900._ "Go now _Celestial Dragon-Dawn_; attack _Wisel Top_ with _Sunrise Slash_!" I shout.

"_Wisel Guard 3_ absorbs your attack," Ghost says. "And once per turn it can't be destroyed in battle."

"Fine, I end my turn," I say. _And since your monster is a 'Synchro Killer', you can't touch my _Fusion_ monster,_ I think.

"It's my turn," Ghost says. **Ghost S.C. 6, Sky S.C. 6** Ghost looks at his card and smiles. "I set one card face-down and end my turn," he says.

"Then it's my draw!" I exclaim. **Ghost S.C. 7, Sky S.C. 7** "Yes! I release my _Celestial Comet_ in order to Tribute Summon _Celestial Knight-Mars (ATK 2400, DEF 1000)_ in Attack mode!" I shout.

A knight in deep red armor appears and joins my dragon. "Your _Wisel Guard 3_ is a goner! Both of my monsters attack it!" I shout.

"I'm afraid that won't work," Ghost says. "I activate my Trap _Labyrinth of Kline_, which switches your knight's ATK with its DEF until the End Phase."

_Celestial Knight-Mars ATK 1000, DEF 2400_. Both monsters strike the machine's arm, and shards from _Celestial Knight-Mars'_ sword hit me. The scariest thing was that I could actually feel the metal pieces. **Sky's Life Points: 3000**

"Ah, feeling the effect of my Infinity Symbol," Ghost says. "It makes damage to duelists real."

_So _that's_ how he makes his opponents crash_, I think. _This Infinity Symbol has the same effect as the Dark Signers' Shadow Duels. Those poor people stood no chance through that._

"I end my turn," I say. _Celestial Knight-Mars ATK 2400, DEF 1000._

"My turn," Ghost says. **Ghost S.C. 8, Sky S.C. 8** "_Meklord Emperor Wisel Infinity,_ attack that _Celestial Knight-Mars_!" Ghost orders.

"I counter with my Quick-Play _Speed Spell-Celestial Reflector_," I say. "When I have at least 3 Speed Counters and a 'Celestial' monster, this card negates your attack."

Ghost smirks at that. "Now I can counter with my own Quick-Play _Speed Spell-Mek Force_! When my opponent activates a Speed Spell, since I control a 'Meklord' monster, this card negates your Speed Spell's effect and inflicts 500 points of damage for each 'Wisel' part I control," he says.

_This is definitely going to hurt,_ I think, bracing myself. Five different blasts come from Ghost's Speed Spell. I lose control of my Runner for a few seconds, but manage to get it under control. **Sky's Life Points: 500**

"You have another turn, since I hold no Speed Spells and thus cannot win through _Speed World 2_'s effect," Ghost says.

"I'll turn this duel around somehow!" I shout, drawing my card. **Ghost S.C. 9, Sky S.C. 9** I turn my card over and smile. "Thank you Deck," I say. "I play my _Speed Spell-Celestial Shockwave_! By removing 4 Speed Counters, I can grant one of my monsters the ability to attack you directly this round!"

**Sky S.C. 5** "Go now, _Celestial Dragon-Dawn_, attack his Life Points directly!" I shout. My dragon flies around the giant machine and claws at Ghost. **Ghost's Life Points: 500**

"That's not all; when _Celestial Dragon-Dawn_ inflicts Battle Damage to my opponent, I gain Life Points equal to that amount," I say. **Sky's Life Points: 4000**

"Now _that's_ what I call a turnaround," Crow says.

"Not just that, I can end this duel with the effect of _Speed World 2_," I say, revealing that I hold one Speed Spell. **Sky S.C. 1**

The blast knocks Ghost right off the Combat Lane, into a forest below us. "We better go see if he's okay," Yusei says.

Three minutes later we are at the place where Ghost crashed. Crow walk over and touches Ghost's arm, which falls off. Crow literally jumps three feet in the air.

"I just-what the-how the-" Crow says. Yusei walks over and examines Ghost.

"It's a robot," Yusei says. "That duel and crash probably broke it."

"Check to see if it's memory chip is in there," I say. "We might find out who programed it to attack people."

A few seconds later and Yusei shakes his head. "The chip is gone," he says.

"So that means someone removed it before we got here," I say. "Strange, since it barely took us any time at all to get down here."

"I say we just turn in the remains of Ghost and be done with it," Jack says. He gets back on his Duel Runner. "Now I'm going to go get whatever sleep I can still get."

Jack speeds off before Crow can yell at him. "Forget about it Crow," I say. "Jack does what Jack does, and I don't think anyone can change that."

"How are we going to get Ghost back?" Yusei asks before Crow can yell at me.

"That shouldn't be a problem," I say, pulling my Duel Disk off of my Duel Runner. "I play the Spell _Teleport_! Take us to the Neo Domino Hospital!"

A small flash of light and we are standing in front of the hospital. "I don't know what's creepier; the Dark Signers or Psychic Duelists," Crow says.

"Just be glad I'm on your side," I say. "Now come on, Mina should still be here."

We walk inside and sure enough, Mina is there. "We caught Ghost," Yusei says. "And it turns out he's a robot."

"A Duel Bot. Someone hijacked a Duel Bot to do all of this," Mina says.

"Er, what's a Duel Bot?" Crow asks.

"A robot that we've been trying to build in order to help with catching rouge Turbo Duelists," Mina replies.

"Okay then," Crow says. Then he yawns. "I guess Jack might have had a good idea with getting some sleep," he says.

"You can go home," Mina says. "You've certainly done enough, catching Ghost for us."

We leave the hospital and return home. Crow collapses on the couch, and before I can go to my room Yusei stops me.

"You think we have a new enemy to worry about?" he asks. "Someone stole the Duel Bot for a reason."

"Maybe you're right, but we can't do much of anything if we don't know who it is," I say. "Now if you don't mind, I would like to get some sleep."

**XXX**

Me: There's the chapter!

Akiza: You named the glowing light thing that the Emperors of Yliaster use?

Me: Well I thought it should have a name.

Sky: That's nice.

Me: Can't think of anything else, so please review. I am totally open to flames!

*Closet door breaks*

Crow: YES! FLAME IT! BURN IT TO THE GROUND!

Me: Dang it… *Runs to a bomb shelter*

Jack: Why the heck did she lock us in a closet?

Sky: Read this. *Hands Jack and Kalin a notebook*

Kalin: She set my head on fire?

Jack: And made cats pee on me?

Sky: Yep. Here's the key to the bomb shelter.

*Jack and Kalin are out the door*

Me: *Leaves the bomb shelter* Oh… just… review or something! SOMEBODY HELP ME!


	32. Chapter 32: Kidnapped

Me: Meow!

Sky: …Did you just meow? Like a cat?

Me: Meow! Sorry, I'm extremely excited! *Spins in circles*

Yusei: Someone forgot to take a chill pill.

Me: I'm going to Washington D.C. tomorrow! Which means I can't work on fanfiction…

Sky: Good, I get a break. Say, where did Jack and Kalin end up?

Me: Um, I think they're somewhere in Canada. If not there, then Mexico.

Sky: I'm not even going to ask.

Me: Good, 'cause I don't feel like telling the story. Anywho, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5ds or Pokémon, but I do own Sky and the three OCs making their return!

Chapter 32

"So you need some help fixing something?" Yusei asks into his phone. I can hear an eager reply of yes from the other end and then it is hung up.

I glance up from my seat on the couch. "So you'll be going out for a while?" I ask.

"Yeah. Apparently this person's doorbell doesn't work, and he thinks I would do a better job than one of the professionals," Yusei replies. "Depending on how broken it is, I should be back in about two hours."

Yusei leaves to the person's house. This leaves me in eerie silence, since with Jack and Crow normally arguing, it's hardly ever quiet. Now, since the both had left to do something earlier, it is absolutely quiet.

I don't like it one bit. After about half an hour, I'm about to go insane. So I get on my Duel Runner and go out, riding around to occupy myself. For some reason, I end up driving through the slums of the City.

I still know the streets by heart after spending a good three years here earlier. _I wonder how Sydney and those two guys are doing,_ I think. As soon as I think this, three Duel Runners pull up behind me.

"Long time no see, eh Sky?" the person asks. It is Sydney on her sleek black Duel Runner. It is a hybrid, and almost looks like a wolf. Escolar and Shoshan are on their own Runners, Escolar's mimicking if not enhancing the black of Sydney's, and Shoshan's a very deep blue. Both frames are Omegas.

"Sure has," I reply. Then the four of us stop. There aren't any people around, so we can talk without having to worry about anyone eavesdropping on us.

"You've certainly been busy," Sydney says.

"Definitely," I say. "What with the WRGP, uniting Satellite and the City, and the chance of a new threat."

"What new threat?" Shoshan asks.

"Oh, you've heard the rumors about Ghost right?" I ask. The three nod. "About a week ago, I dueled him and won. Turns out Ghost was a hijacked Duel Bot. Anyways, he had this card, _Meklord Emperor Wisel,_ and against it Synchro Monsters are pretty much useless."

"So you think someone's out to get rid of Synchros?" Sydney asks.

"It's a possibility," I say. _And if it's true, my Deck would be practically useless,_ I think. _At least my Celestial one would be._

"Ghost or no Ghost, I want to participate in the WRGP," Escolar says.

"But your Deck doesn't suit Turbo Duels," Shoshan says. "That's why Sydney and I weren't going to participate."

"I was going to say that you could have Sky be the third member," Escolar says. "I would a sub or something."

_But I'm already on a team with Yusei and my friends,_ I think. Then a sudden realization hits me. _Only three members of the team actually get to duel, and knowing them, I would be the one sitting out._

"I actually like that idea," I say. "We could sort of have an alliance between this team and my brother's team until the duels start. You know, help with Duel Runner upgrades and stuff."

Sydney grins. "Sweet, I actually get to participate in a tournament! Time to test my dueling skills for real!" she says.

"One more thing, doesn't the team need a name?" I ask. We spend a good hour thinking, and end up settling on Shoshan's idea of Team Star Speeders. "Okay then, I'll come back here tomorrow at noon," I say. "My friends are probably wondering where I am."

I get back on my Duel Runner and return to the small apartment. Jack is pacing back and forth, his face equivalent to a tomato. Crow is bent in this strange position.

"Where the *h-word* have you been?" Jack demands as soon as I'm through the door.

"Catching up with some old friends," I say. "What's the problem?"

"Yusei's been kidnapped," Crow says. I freeze.

"Did I hear you right?" I ask.

"Yes," Crow mutters. "Akiza went to go find him."

At this moment Akiza and Yusei walk through the door. Yusei seems to be fine. "Are you okay Yusei?" I ask.

"Thanks to Akiza I am," Yusei replies. "Jack, Crow, would you mind if I spoke to Sky in private?"

Jack has fortunately cooled down a little, and after making sure Yusei was _really_ okay, he and Crow leave. Akiza follows them.

Yusei sits on the couch. "Sky, I seriously think we have a new problem to stop," he says.

"What happened?" I ask.

"After Akiza rescued me, I was forced into a Turbo Duel with someone named Sherry. She said that a group called Yliaster had murdered her parents," Yusei says.

"And that involves us how?" I ask.

"The Goodwin brothers were both part of Yliaster," Yusei says. "Or at least Rex was."

"Oh," I say. _So Yliaster isn't afraid of killing, _I think. _Are they the ones that twisted Roman's mind and are really the ones behind Zero Reverse?_

"You're thinking the same thing I thought when I connected the two," Yusei says. "I guess that means we have to stay on our guard."

**Three days later…**

Tonight is the WRGP banquet. "You don't even own a dress?" Akiza exclaims. I had just told her about that fact. Curse the rule that says women have to dress fancy to parties. I'm a Turbo Duelist by heart; I don't wear dresses or skirts. Plus my wings would kind of be revealed if I wear a dress.

"I don't like them," I say simply. Seriously, I do not want to reveal my secret.

"Oh come on, you have to have at least one," Akiza says. "Like it or not, we are going shopping!"

So Akiza drags-and I do mean drag-me to the Neo Domino Mall. That's how my afternoon was spent, trying to find a dress that I would probably only wear once in my entire life.

Eventually I give in and decide on this white dress that thankfully has enough room to hide my wings. The material is also the same color as my wings, so I doubt anyone would see them.

"That wasn't so hard now, was it?" Akiza asks as we leave the store. The dress is in a giant bag that I have to carry.

"No," I say. "But I still don't like dresses," I mutter.

Akiza just rolls her eyes at me. "Why don't we get to work on your hair now?" she asks. Obviously she wasn't going to take no for an answer, and I am forced to Akiza's house. Specifically her room, which for some reason has a little makeup booth in it.

Akiza starts by taking the ribbon out of my hair. I snatch it quickly and tie it around my wrist. You never knew when I would lose my cool, and an angry Psychic Duelist is not something you want to mess with.

Then she attempts to comb my hair. It has a habit of making really tough knots on the lower layer that I didn't bother with. Of course, Akiza wanted to get all of the knots out, and by the time she finishes, there is a little pile of golden hair on the floor and hissing had been added to the dictionary.

Akiza then tells me to close my eyes as she does the actual styling. A few minutes later I'm told to open my eyes. I look into the mirror and gawk in amazement.

My hair is no longer up like I normally have it. Instead, it trails down my back, halfway past shoulder length. It's longer than I expected. The second thing is that Akiza somehow separated one cluster of silver hair and now that cluster zigzags in front of my face.

"You think I did well?" Akiza asks.

"You did amazing!" I exclaim. "I think I might keep it like this," I add.

"Thanks," Akiza says. She looks at the time. "Oh man, now I only have an hour to get myself ready!" she exclaims.

And she goes to find her own dress. After about ten minutes I go to the bathroom to get my dress on. It takes me a good half hour to put it on by myself. I didn't want to accidentally tear it or something, even if I only wear it once.

When I get out of the bathroom, Akiza is waiting for me. "We'll meet up with the others at the banquet," she says. "My mom's willing to drive us."

So we are driven to the WRGP. I get out of the car along with Akiza and quickly look around to find any of my friends. I spot Escolar, Crow, and Leo at the buffet table. They are arguing over a slice of pie.

_Leave it to guys to argue over food,_ I think. I walk over to the table, pick up the piece of pie, walk to a table, and start eating it. The three realize and start yelling at me.

"Hey lady, that's my pie!" they shout at the same time. I glance up.

"Too bad, it's mine now," I say.

"Wait a sec, is that you Sky?" Crow asks.

"The one and only," I say. Then Shoshan and Sydney walk over. Sydney is in a dress similar to mine only it's black. Shoshan is in a dark blue tuxedo.

"Escolar, I can't believe you would argue over a piece of pie," Shoshan says. "Scratch that, I can believe that you would, but that still makes you an idiot."

Then the rest of my friends come over. "You should know better Leo," Luna says.

"You too Crow," Yusei says. And then he sees me with what is left of the pie slice. "Sky? You look amazing," he says.

I shrug. "I don't like wearing dresses," I say for the umpteenth time today. "Don't get used to it."

"Same here," Sydney says.

"Who are you?" Yusei asks. I do a mental facepalm. _I've never introduced them, much less talked about them,_ I think.

"Short introductions, this is Sydney, I fled Satellite with her," I say. "The other two are Shoshan and Escolar, twin brothers that Sydney met during my stay at the Facility. Both are Psychic Duelists."

Crow and Leo seem surprised and back away from Escolar. "My brother doesn't bite," Shoshan says. "And if he does he faces the wrath of _Giratina_."

Now Escolar is a bit scared. "So these three are a rival team in the WRGP?" Yusei asks.

"Yes but Escolar is only the sub member," Sydney says.

"Then who's the real member?" Crow asks.

"I am," I reply. "Don't get me wrong; our teams can work together until the tournament," I add quickly. "That's what rivals are supposed to do; make each other stronger."

"I guess so," Yusei says. And our friends disperse, leaving me with my team. I talk with Sydney until a loud crash resonates from another part of the room. As fast as I can run in a dress I am over there.

_Black Rose Dragon_ is flying above the guests. The window is completely shattered, and I can see some pieces of a Duel Runner on the ground. "I stopped the party crasher," Akiza says simply.

Then a guy in a blue Turbo dueling outfit walks past. Yusei seems to recognize the man and follows him. The rest of Team 5D's follows, but I stay. I'm not in the stalking mood while wearing this dress.

After a while, I decide to leave the party. Sydney was thinking the same thing, and so I got a first class ticket riding on the back of _Zapdos_. The giant bird drops me off in front of the apartment.

"Thank you," I say as _Zapdos_ returns to his master. Again I have the eerie silence, but I wasted most of that time by getting out of the dress. The five minutes I have to wait until Yusei, Jack, and Crow return are some of the longest minutes of my life.

"I have a way to fight Ghost," Yusei declares as he enters. "Someone named Vizor-the man I followed-said the way to beat a Meklord Emperor is with an Accel Synchro Monster."

"Er, what's an _Accel _Synchro Monster?" I ask.

"It's a Synchro Summon using a Synchro Tuner-a Synchro Monster that is also a Tuner-and a non-Tuner Synchro Monster," Yusei says. "Although Vizor also said something about having a clear mind and exceeding the limits of speed."

"Is that even possible?" I ask.

"Apparently, since Vizor Accel Synchro Summoned during a Turbo Duel with me," Yusei says.

"Hey, I'm going to bed if y'all don't mind," Crow says. Jack follows him silently.

"Crow has the right idea," I say. It is eleven at night. "You better not pull another all-nighter Yusei," I say as I head to bed.

**XXX**

Me: And that's how I end the chapter!

Sky: Why did you make me wear a dress?

Me: Blame the rule that says girls have to dress fancy, not me. I think it's a stupid rule.

Sky: Hmph.

Me: …Okay, please review or whatnot. I am open to flames!


	33. Chapter 33: Accel Synchro!

Me: I'm back again! *Gets hit in the face by a cheese grater*

Sky: Wow, your viewers have moved from rotten fruit to sharp objects.

Me: *Rubs face* It's not my fault I haven't updated!

Yusei: Actually it is, no matter what way you put it.

Me: Oh yeah? Try going to Washington D.C, getting the dreaded writer's block, and coming down with a severe case of allergy symptoms. MY FACE FEELS LIKE IT'S GOING TO EXPLODE!

Crow: *Runs in, eyes light up* Will it really? Wait 'till I get a camera!

Me: Ugh, I don't feel like running today. And no, my face will definitely not explode. It just hurts like crazy.

Crow: Aw…

Me: Yeah yeah, I know you want to see that happen. Too bad. Okay then, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5ds or Pokémon, but I do own my four OCs and Sky's Deck. (Spoiler) I'm also using a different way of showing the statistics in a duel.

Chapter 33

I've settled into a routine now. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays I work with Team 5Ds. On Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays I work with Team Star Speeders. Sundays are the days where I can do whatever I want to.

Neither team is having much luck with the engine program. In the past two weeks alone, at least seven more engines have blown up in my face. This is really getting on my nerves, since I now have several black streaks in my hair. Which won't go away no matter how hard I try.

Yep, the black streaks seem to reject magic as well. Thankfully, today is Sunday, so no more explosions for me. "I'm heading out," I say before I leave.

I get a Combat Lane to myself while I'm doing this. Good thing too, 'cause I am totally screwing the speed limit. I seriously don't want to deal with Sector Security right now.

Back to business, the Combat Lane is all mine and I've already blown the speed limit. Even so, something tells me it's not fast enough. Actually, a certain white dragon did.

_Little one, you won't manage an Accel Synchro with speed like this,_ Reshiram says.

This throws me off my focus, and I nearly miss the turn. _Okay, try to warn me before you start talking next time I'm on my Runner,_ I think at Reshiram.

_I did not know that I would distract you_, Reshiram replies. _But it is true._

_It's not like I can help how fast my Runner can go_. _My teams aren't getting anywhere with the engine programs, and that limits it,_ I think.

_Haven't you tried buying an engine that was made by a professional?_ Reshiram asks.

_No! One, that hurts our pride, two, I've checked out the engines and most of them would slow my Runner down. The others wouldn't make a difference at all,_ I reply.

_Do you want my help?_ Reshiram asks.

_Not really… How exactly would I explain it to my friends? 'Oh, this ancient dragon helped me because I was stuck. Now I can Accel Synchro. Did I forget to mention that the dragon lives in my head?' They'd put me in a loony bin!_ I reply.

Yeah, I know they had to deal with the Dark Signers, random light shows, and giant monsters that can bring back the dead, but I think I would draw the line at the dragon in my head.

_Technically I'm a part of _all_ of you, not just your head,_ Reshiram says.

I would reply to that statement, but my Runner starts talking. "Unknown Duel Runner approaching," is what it says.

I spare a glance backwards. Sure enough there is a dark green Duel Runner approaching me. The rider's face is in the shadows.

"You are Sky Fudo, correct?" the rider asks. Definitely a guy.

"What's it to you?" I ask in return.

"I wish to challenge you to a Turbo Duel," he replies.

"Well we're already on a Combat Lane," I point out. "And I never back down from a challenge! Let's do this thing!"

"Just what I hoped for," the guy says. "You can call me Flinch."

"Activating the _Speed World 2 _Field Spell!" we both shout.

**Flinch's Life Points: 4000, Sky's Life Points 4000**

We still use the 'first corner, first move' rule, and Flinch takes it full on. He gets the corner not even a second before I do. "You'll see why they call me Flinch," he says as he draws his card.

**Flinch S.C. 1, Sky S.C. 1**

"Hmm, I think I'll set a monster in face-down Defense Position along with two other cards to end my turn," Flinch says.

"Nice opening, but you'll have to do better to stop me," I say as I draw my card.

**Flinch S.C. 2, Sky S.C. 2**

"Sweet, I'll start by Summoning _Celestial Meteor_ in Attack Mode," I say.

**Celestial Meteor ATK: 1500, DEF: 0, Level 2**

"I'll follow up with _Celestial Wizard, _since he can join the party when I have a 'Celestial' monster on the field," I continue.

**Celestial Wizard ATK: 1800, DEF: 1000, Level 4**

"Now my wizard will attack your face-down monster."

The card flips up. **Telekinetic Guard ATK: 0, DEF 2000 Level 3**

"Sorry, my _Telekinetic Guard _has a better Defense than your monsters have Attack. So you'll feel the sting," Flinch says.

The magical blast hits the defending monster and I am hit by the residue. The only thing is that _I can actually feel it_. Which means that Flinch is a Psychic Duelist.

**Sky's Life Points: 3800**

"You act different than my other opponents when I inflict the first damage," Flinch says.

"I've had more physical damage done to me in a duel," I reply. _Yeah, like when I had a Shadow Duel with Roman,_ I think. _And the earlier Shadow Turbo Duel with Kalin._

"Hmph, next time I will top whatever that damage was," Flinch says.

"I seriously doubt it," I say under my breath. "Anyways, I end my turn with two face-down cards."

"It's my turn then," Flinch says.

**Flinch S.C. 3, Sky S.C. 3**

"Perfect, I Summon _Telekinetic Shocker_ to the field in Attack Mode," Flinch begins.

**Telekinetic Shocker ATK: 1700, DEF 500, Level 4**

"And I'll follow up with my _Speed Spell-Double Summon_. Using its effect I Summon the Tuner _Telekinetic Fairy_ as well," Flinch says.

**Telekinetic Fairy ATK 400, DEF 1300, Level 2**

"So now I will Tune my Level 2 _Telekinetic Fairy_ with my Level 3 _Telekinetic Guard_ and Level 4 _Telekinetic Shocker_! _The powers of the mind will combine with the darkness of my heart!_ Synchro Summon! Show your might, _Telekinetic End Warrior!_"

A man dressed entirely in black appears. He wears no armor but a helmet. A long black sword is in his hands. There is a faint purple glow around the warrior.

**Telekinetic End Warrior ATK: 3400, DEF 1900, Level 9**

"Oh yeah, _Telekinetic End Warrior _gains 300 ATK for every 'Telekinetic' monster in my Graveyard, so that puts him at 4300," Flinch says. "Attack now my warrior! Show that meteor the way back to the stars!"

"Not so fast, I play my Quick-Play _Speed Spell-Celestial Reflector_! Three Speed Counters and a 'Celestial' monster power this card, and it'll bring your attack to a halt," I say.

Flinch smiles as if he knew I was going to stop the attack. "I'm afraid you're mistaken," he says. "_Telekinetic End Warrior_ has a second ability; by paying 500 Life Points I can cancel out the effect of a Speed Spell and destroy it."

**Flinch's Life Points: 3500**

"With _Celestial Wizard_ on the field, _Celestial Meteor _won't be destroyed," I say.

"Yes, but you still take the damage," Finch points out.

The warrior continues his slash at my meteor, and once it's out of the way he strikes me. The sword completely cuts a large gash into my left arm, and I am glad I have Autopilot activated or I would have crashed.

** Sky's Life Points: 1000**

_Reshiram, can you try to hold back the pain?_ I think.

_That should be easy,_ Reshiram replies.

"Now you feel the full extent of my powers," Flinch says. "Sayer has been helping me control them."

_Sayer… Oh yeah, he's the one who twisted Akiza and tried to drown me, Yusei, and Mina_, I think. _But wait, didn't one of the Earthbound Immortals eat him?_

"Not even a word? You seriously are different than the others," Flinch says. "I end my turn."

"A new turn means another chance," I say as I draw my card.

**Flinch S.C. 4, Sky S.C. 4**

"Hah! You won't be able to break through this shield! I Summon _Celestial Defender_ to the field in Defense Mode!" I shout.

**Celestial Defender ATK 500, DEF 2000, Level 2**

"You see, _Celestial Wizard _prevents the destruction of all 'Celestial' monsters except for himself and _Celestial Defender_ forces your attack target to be him if you choose a 'Celestial' monster," I explain.

"I'll then switch my other monsters into Defense Mode and end my turn," I finish.

"I'm up!" Flinch exclaims.

**Flinch S.C. 5, Sky S.C. 5**

"I activate the first effect of _Speed World 2,_ so by removing 4 Speed Counters you take 800 points of damage for each Speed Spell that I hold," Flinch says. "You're lucky that I only hold one."

**Flinch S.C. 1, Sky's Life Points: 200**

The shockwave doesn't hurt as bad as my arm does, thankfully. "I think I'll set a card and call it a turn," Flinch finishes.

"Fine by me, it's my turn!" I shout as I draw my card.

**Flinch S.C. 2, Sky S.C. 6**

I look at the card and smile. _I haven't played this card in a long time, but it'll help me now,_ I think.

"I set a card face-down to end my turn," I say.

"That's hardly a move," Flinch taunts, drawing his card.

**Flinch S.C. 3, Sky S.C. 7**

"Hmph, I can't do anything better," Flinch says. "Your move."

"Before that, I play my Trap _Silver Wishes!_ Now during my turn if I draw a 'Celestial' card, I can reveal it and gain 1000 Life Points," I say. "So now it's my turn, and it looks like the card is _Celestial Knight-Earth_."

**Flinch S.C. 4, Sky S.C. 8, Sky's Life Points: 1200**

_It won't make a difference if I Summon _Celestial Dragon-Quasar,_ since that warrior has more than 4000 Attack Points,_ I think. _But if I don't do anything, Flinch might draw another Speed Spell and that would be that. If only I could manage an Accel Synchro…_

Then I remember that Reshiram had offered to help me earlier. Would it be possible somehow?

_That offer is still up,_ Reshiram answers. _And yes, it is possible. Just get the field ready._

_Wait, I don't have a Synchro Tuner,_ I think back. Three seconds later and a light glows in my Extra Deck holder. I look at it and find that there is a Synchro Tuner and a blank card.

_Okay then,_ I think. "I activate the second effect of _Speed World 2;_ I remove 7 Speed Counters to draw one card," I say. "Oh look, it's _Celestial Archer_, so _Silver Wishes_ effect activates."

**Sky S.C. 1, Sky's Life Points: 2200**

"Now I'll start by Summoning the Tuner _Celestial Knight-Earth_," I begin.

**Celestial Knight-Earth ATK: 1900, DEF 1000, Level 4**

"I'll follow through by Tuning her with my Level 4 _Celestial Wizard! As night falls and darkness rises, the stars gather together to form one mighty beast! _Synchro Summon! Bring forth the light_, Celestial Dragon-Quasar!_"

My silver dragon appears and growls at _Telekinetic End Warrior_. "Hold your fire Quasar," I say. "Now that I've successfully Synchro Summoned, _Celestial Archer_ can join the field."

**Celestial Archer ATK: 200, DEF: 1000, Level 2**

"Level 2 _Celestial Archer;_ give my Level 2 _Celestial Meteor_ a Tune-up! _The power of hope rises and brings with it the light of a new future! Show us what that future is!_ Synchro Summon! Arise Synchro Tuner, _Zero Synchron!_"

**Zero Synchron ATK: 1800, DEF 1000**

With a flash of light, a monster that looks almost like _Bri Synchron_ appears. The new monster is entirely gold and silver colored and is slightly larger than the monster it looks like is.

_There Reshiram; I've set up the field,_ I think.

_Good, now turn of Autopilot and clear your mind,_ Reshiram says. _You can't be thinking about anything when you do this._

_ I don't know if I can,_ I think back.

_Just take a deep breath, exhale, and let your thoughts ride the wind,_ Reshiram says.

_Ride the wind… _I press a button on my Duel Runner. "Autopilot deactivated," a computerized voice says.

As soon as I do this, my Runner accelerates. Like, a whole lot. I nearly lost control of it.

_Ride the wind…_ I close my eyes and breathe like Reshiram told me to.

"I Tune my Level 4 _Zero Synchron _with my Level 8 _Celestial Dragon-Quasar! __I call for your aid in the darkest of nights, may your light pierce the shadows of evil and bring forth their destruction! _Accel Synchro! Shine brightly, _Reshiram, Goddess of Light!"_

When I open my eyes, a white dragon is flying next to me. She is craning her neck around, looking at her body. _It has been so long since I have had my body,_ Reshiram says.

I barely hear her as I am laughing. I succeeded in doing an Accel Synchro! Slowly I manage to stop laughing, and I switch Autopilot back on.

"_Reshiram, Goddess of Light's _Attack and Defense Points are equal to the number of cards in my Graveyard times 500," I say.

**Reshiram, Goddess of Light ATK: 4000, DEF: 4000, Level 12**

"But my _Telekinetic End Warrior _is still stronger than yours," Flinch points out.

"Not after I attack, and use the effect of _Honest_ to raise my LIGHT-Attributed _Reshiram, Goddess of Light's_ Attack power by the Attack of your monster's until the End Phase," I say.

**Reshiram, Goddess of Light ATK: 8300**

"Grr, I activate my Trap _Telekinetic Shutdown,_ so by releasing my _Telekinetic End Warrior_ I can force the end of the Battle Phase," Flinch counters.

"That's where you are wrong," I say. "_Reshiram, Goddess of Light_'s ability activates; once per turn by banishing a card in my Graveyard I can negate the effect of a card and destroy it."

**Reshiram, Goddess of Light ATK: 7800**

"That's not all, your _Telekinetic End Warrior _was released before my effect carried out, and since the chain of effects is over I can continue my attack! Go now _Reshiram, Goddess of Light,_ end this duel with _Generation Burst!_" I shout.

_With pleasure,_ Reshiram says. She flies into the distance and, like a meteor, flies back, tearing through Flinch. I'd really feel sorry for the guy if I had been using my Psychic Powers.

**Flinch's Life Points: 0**

We both stop. "I'll win next time," Flinch says. "Then Sayer can do whatever he wants with you."

"Wait, you really should stay away from Sayer," I say.

"Why should I? He rescued me from the streets and is teaching me how to control my powers," Flinch says.

"Well for starters the guy tried to kill me, my brother, and a Sector Security woman by locking us in a cellar and then flooding the cellar," I say.

"I doubt that, Sayer would never kill someone," Flinch says. "He might hurt them, but killing… He would never do that!"

And before I can answer, Flinch leaves by playing _Teleport._ Reshiram flies down next to me. _I think that guy has his mind set,_ she says before disappearing.

_Well now what am I supposed to do?_ I think. _I've succeeded in Accel Synchro Summoning_, _so I really don't know what to do._

Within seconds I get an answer. From my stomach. It growls loudly. _How long did that duel take?_ I think.

_A while, but you might want to heal your arm before you go walking around the City,_ Reshiram says.

I quickly heal it since I had managed to forget about it. Reshiram had been able to do a good job suppressing the pain.

Now that I'm looking decent enough, I head home to eat.

Yusei is the only one there, and of course he's working on the engine program.

"Hey Yusei," I say. _Man, I wish I could tell him how my duel went,_ I think.

"You're back early," he says. Yusei doesn't even look up from the computer.

"I got hungry," I say. "So I'm making myself a sandwich."

**XXX**

Me: There's the long awaited chapter.

Sky: Why would you bring back Sayer?

Me: He plays a part in the sequel to the sequel of this story.

Yusei: And you know that because?

Me: I've written the first chapter and the prologue of it.

Sky: Do you ever run out of ideas?

Me: Only when I get writer's block.

Sky: Lovely…

Me: Okay! Review and tell me if you liked the way I showed the duel better than I used to!

Crow: You can flame it if you want! Borrow my blowtorch!

Sky: That would be my blowtorch… Give it back birdbrain!

Crow: No! I need to burn this fanfic first!

Sky: You will not burn the fanfic. Or the writer. Unless you go through me first.

Crow: You're such a killjoy.

Me: No she's not; she's just siding with me. *Sticks out tongue*

Sky: I'm not siding with anybody!

Me: Fine… Review again!


	34. Chapter 34: Skiel

Me: *Pokes head around corner* Yack!

*Multiple sharp objects and rotten fruit are thrown*

Sky: Where on Earth have you been?

Me: At my house. I'm _sooooooo_ sorry for not updating!

Crow: I liked it when you were gone.

Me: *Rolls eyes* I really don't care.

Sydney: Why haven't you updated anyways?

Me: I got caught up in school work, my brother is a computer hog, my birthday was last Wednesday and the website I was using to reference this fanfiction to make sure I'm still sort of following the plot was blocked.

Leo: Happy late birthday. Oh yeah, you're going to need more popcorn. And toilet paper.

Luna: Leo!

Me: Just-Just don't. *Sighs* Before I get off topic entirely, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5ds or Reshiram. I _do_ own Sky, her Deck, and my other OCs. Enjoy!

Chapter 34

Since my Turbo Duel with Flinch, nothing dangerous has happened. Akiza got her Turbo Dueling license, although I didn't get to see her duel with Trudge. She took her test on a Thursday, so I was working with Team Star Speeders.

The 'nothing dangerous' period ends today. Or specifically this morning. I got up early this morning to watch the sunrise when I see a meteor land quite close to Neo Domino City.

_Wasn't there another meteor that hit near here just a few weeks ago?_ I think.

_I believe it was just before that Ghost started roaming the streets,_ Reshiram says.

_A coincidence probably,_ I think.

_There are no such things as coincidences,_ Reshiram says.

_Do you think this meteor is important?_ I think.

_Yes, _Reshiram replies. _I would like to see the meteor._

After some travel via _Teleport_, I'm standing in front of a giant pit with what appears to be a giant stone tablet in the center.

"This isn't a meteor," I say. Looking closer at the tablet, I find that it looks exactly like a Duel Monster card. I glance at the top, hoping to read a name. The only thing I can read is 'Meklord' before a member of Sector Security yells at me to get away.

Not wanting a run-in with the officer, I quickly play _Teleport_ again and return home. Thankfully none of my friends are up yet.

I sit down on the couch. _Should I tell them about what I saw?_ I think.

_You don't have to keep everything a secret,_ Reshiram says. _Go ahead; they'll probably find out anyways._

So, when my three friends come downstairs for breakfast, which I had made, I wait until after they're done eating.

"Hey guys, remember Ghost?" I ask.

"Who wouldn't?" Jack asks in return.

"True," I say. "Well, I really think that something bad is coming. There was another meteor that fell earlier and I got a pretty good look at it. It wasn't just some meteor; it was a giant tablet. Before a Security yelled at me, I managed to make out the word 'Meklord' at the top."

"Just like the card that Ghost used," Yusei comments.

"Exactly," I say. "I think it would be best if we stay on our guard for anything suspicious."

**Later…**

We had decided to take a break from working on the engine program when Leo, Luna, and Akiza walk in. Leo appears to be in a bad mood.

"Did Leo lose again?" I ask.

"I lost on purpose," Leo grumbles.

"No, you lost because Lester is out of your league," Luna says.

"Who's this Lester?" Yusei asks.

"The new kid," Leo says. "If you ask me, there's something fishy about him."

_Fishy… I hope he doesn't have anything to do with that tablet,_ I think.

_With your luck, this Lester probably does,_ Reshiram says. I roll my eyes, which thankfully none of my friends notice.

"You just say that because he totally destroyed you in a duel," Luna says. The twins start arguing and leave.

"Strange, those two hardly ever argue," Akiza says.

**That night…**

It's time to go to bed, but I stop Yusei for a few seconds. "Yusei, do you think that Lester has something to do with that tablet I saw?" I ask.

"I do," he replies. "Leo said he seems fishy, and well… That _Meklord Emperor Wisel_ certainly was."

"I thought the same thing," I say. "Goodnight Yusei."

**Three days later…**

Right now I'm at Team Star Speeders' base, and I'm working on the engine program with Shoshan. Sydney and Escolar had gotten into this huge argument and I can… well… hear them from downstairs.

The sound of something shattering tells me the argument has gotten violent. "You know, I wish my brother wouldn't have to think he's right all the time," Shoshan says.

"That _is_ what started the argument," I say. At this moment, one of Luna's Duel Spirits flies into the room. It's _Fairy Archer_, speaking so fast I can only catch the words 'Luna', 'Leo', and 'danger'.

Those words are all that's necessary. "We'd better help them," Shoshan says, putting down a wrench. "I'm sure Sydney and Escolar won't mind if we leave."

The muffled sound of a cuss word comes from upstairs. "Yeah, let's go before they want us to get involved," I say.

We follow _Fairy Archer_ to a nearby Combat Lane. The one we're on runs parallel to the one that I see Leo and Luna on. There on what appear to be motorized skateboards and are Turbo Dueling some kid their age.

Oh yeah, there's also a huge blue mechanical monster next to the kid that the twins are dueling. "Feel the wrath of my _Meklord Emperor Skiel Infinity!_" the kid shouts.

"I knew that tablet meant something bad," I say.

"What tablet?" Shoshan asks.

"The meteor that fell a few days ago," I reply. "It wasn't really a meteor; it was a giant tablet that said 'Meklord' on it. "I'm pretty sure the rest of the name on it was 'Emperor Skiel' or something like that."

"Oh," Shoshan says. "If it's like the one you faced, then those two don't stand a chance!"

"I think that's why _Fairy Archer_ came," I say. Turning my attention back to the duel, I can see that it is Leo's turn.

"I set one card and end my turn," Leo says.

"You don't want to surrender?" the kid asks. "Pitiful. It's my turn and I activate my _Trap Stun_ Trap card. Now until the end of my turn, no more Trap cards can be activated."

_That's bad for the twins,_ I think.

"Now _Meklord Emperor Skiel Infinity _will attack Leo directly!" the kid shouts. I hear Leo scream.

_Oh man, the damage in that duel is real,_ I think.

Thankfully Leo is okay. The kid with _Skiel_ starts laughing.

**Leo's Life Points: 1800**

"Hmph, I guess I'll have to hit you harder next time," the kid says. "I end my turn with a face-down."

"You won't hurt Leo again!" Luna exclaims, drawing her card.

**All S.C. 4**

"I Summon _Sunlight Unicorn_ in Attack Mode," Luna starts.

**Sunlight Unicorn ATK: 1800, DEF: 1000, Level 4**

"Now I can activate the effect of the _Spore_ in my Graveyard, so I remove _Nettles_ from play and Special Summon it, increasing its Level by that of _Nettles_," Luna continues.

**Spore ATK: 400, DEF: 800, Level 3**

"I Tune my now Level 3 _Spore_ with my Level 4 _Sunlight Unicorn!_ _The sacred guardian's light crosses paths now and becomes eternal life! _Synchro Summon! Shine, _Ancient Fairy Dragon!"_

**Ancient Fairy Dragon ATK: 2100, DEF: 3000, Level 7**

_That won't do much good against a Meklord,_ I think. I also faintly see the kid's lips moving, but if he was saying anything, I can't tell what it is.

"I'm not done; I play _Ancient Fairy Dragon's _ability; once per turn, by skipping my Battle Phase, I can Special Summon one Level 4 or lower monster from my hand. I choose _Fairy Archer_," Luna says.

**Fairy Archer ATK: 1400, DEF: 600, Level 3**

"_Fairy Archer's_ effect activates, dealing 400 points of damage for each LIGHT-Attributed monster I control," Luna says.

_That's 800 points of damage,_ I think. _Can you keep this up though?_

**Kid's Life Points: 3200**

"I set two cards face-down and end my turn," Luna says.

"Hah, that was nothing," the kid laughs. He draws his card.

**All S.C. 5**

"I'll show you real power; I activate _Meklord Emperor Skiel Infinity's_ ability. Once per turn it can absorb a Synchro Monster from my opponent's field," the kid says.

Glowing green strings fly out of the mechanical monster's chest and entangle _Ancient Fairy Dragon._ Slowly the dragon is pulled into the giant machine.

"No!" both Luna and I shout simultaneously.

"It's that Synchro prevention," a voice says from another track parallel to ours. I squint in the direction of the voice and see the rest of Team 5ds on it. _I wonder if the Crimson Dragon warned them,_ I think.

_That is likely,_ Reshiram says. _Those marked by it have a strong connection; they can feel when the others are in pain._

I do not reply as the kid continues his turn. Well, first he does this trick on the safety glass, surprising Leo.

"It-It's Lester!" Leo exclaims.

_I knew it!_ I think with some enthusiasm.

"Finally figured it out, have you?" Lester asks. "Doesn't matter though; because I'm going to win easily now! My _Skiel_ gains Attack Points equal to the Attack Points of the Synchro Monster equipped to it."

**Meklord Emperor Skiel Infinity's ATK: 4300**

"Now I'll play the _Speed Spell-Summon Close_, which prevents you from Special Summoning this turn as I have 4 Speed Counters," Lester continues.

I can hear Leo grumble about that, but not exactly what he says.

"Must've been something that restricts his face-down," Shoshan says. He heard the grumbling too.

"That'll do," Lester says. "Now _Meklord Emperor Skiel Infinity_ will attack Leo directly! Finish him off!"

"No you won't," Luna interrupts. "I play my Trap _Twinkle Wall,_ so by taking half the damage Leo would, I can negate the attack of your _Skiel_."

Luna rides in front of Leo and blocks the attack, although it is obvious that she's struggling to stay up.

**Luna's Life Points: 350**

"I set one card and end my turn," Lester says, sounding pleased.

"You won't hurt Luna anymore," Leo says as he draws his card.

**All S.C. 6**

"First I Summon the Tuner _Morphtronic Scopen_ to the field in Attack Mode," Leo begins.

**Morphtronic Scopen ATK: 800, DEF: 0, Level 3**

"Then, because _Scopen_ is in Attack Mode, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower 'Morphtronic' monster from my hand. I choose _Morphtronic Boomboxen_," Leo continues.

**Morphtronic Boomboxen ATK: 1200, DEF: 0, Level 4**

"He isn't going to-" Shoshan begins.

"I think he is," I finish.

"I Tune my Level 3 _Morphtronic Scopen_ with my Level 4 _Morphtronic Boomboxen_! _Docking strength with courage in order to protect world peace!_ Synchro Summon! The envoy of love and justice, _Power Tool Dragon!_" Leo chants.

**Power Tool Dragon ATK: 2300, DEF: 2500, Level 7**

"What is that idiot thinking?" Jack says from the third track. The only reason I can hear him is because Jack is really loud.

No offense to Leo, but what Jack said was what the rest of us were thinking.

Leo apparently didn't hear and continues his turn. "When I have 4 or more Speed Counters, I can play the _Speed Spell-Summon Speeder!_ This lets me Special Summon a Level 4 or lower monster from my hand, like _Morphtronic Vacuumen_!"

**Morphtronic Vacuumen ATK: 0, DEF: 0, Level 1**

"But that's not the end of it," Leo continues. "Once per turn, if _Vacuumen_ is in Defense Mode, it can absorb an opponent's monster! Unlike yours, it's not limited to Synchros."

"That'll change things," I say hopefully. But of course, it doesn't.

"Grr, you won't get my monster," Lester says. "My Trap _Convert Ghost_ will make sure of that. Now, since you targeted a monster on my field as an effect, I can change the target to a monster in my Graveyard."

"Aw man…" Leo says as his monster vacuums in a card I don't recognize instead of _Skiel_.

"That isn't good," Shoshan says.

"I-I end my turn with a face-down," Leo says.

"See, your simple tricks don't work on me," Lester says as he draws his card.

**All S.C. 7**

"Before you do anything, I play the Trap _Power Break_!" Leo says. "With a face-up _Power Tool Dragon_, this Trap forces all Equip Cards back to their owners' Decks."

A look of surprise appears on Lester's face. "Also, for every card returned, you take 500 points of damage," Leo adds.

The card _Vacuumen_ absorbed returns to Lester's Deck and _Ancient Fairy Dragon_ comes out of _Skiel_ and returns to Luna's Extra Deck.

"_Ancient Fairy Dragon!_" Luna says happily.

**Lester's Life Points: 2200, Meklord Emperor Skiel Infinity ATK: 2200**

"I warned you to stay away from my sister Lester," Leo says. "I'm not only going to protect her, but I'll also protect things she holds dear, like _Ancient Fairy Dragon."_

"Gah, you've done it now," Lester says angrily. "I'm going to make you regret making me mad! I activate the effect of _Speed World 2_; by removing 7 Speed Counters I can draw one card."

**Lester S.C. 0**

Lester nods at the card, and then adds it to his hand. "I'll play my face-down Trap _Sky A3._ Now I send _Skiel Attack_ to the Graveyard and Special Summon _Skiel Attack 3_ from my hand," he says.

**Skiel Attack 3 ATK: 1200, DEF: 0, Level 3; Meklord Emperor Skiel Infinity ATK: 2400**

"With _Skiel Attack 3_ out, I can release it and Special Summon _Skiel Attack 5_ from my hand," Lester continues.

**Skiel Attack 5 ATK: 1400, DEF: 0, Level 5; Meklord Emperor Skiel Infinity ATK: 2600**

"I'm not even going to bother absorbing your Synchro, since _Skiel Attack 5_ allows my _Meklord Emperor Skiel Infinity_ to attack you directly," Lester says. "Obliterate that pesky boy, _Skiel_!"

"Leo!" Luna shouts.

The attack from _Skiel_ creates an explosion that knocks Leo off the Combat Lane. Before I can do anything, the Crimson Dragon appears.

"Wow," Shoshan says as the dragon catches Leo and sets him safely on the ground. Then the Crimson Dragon disappears.

I let go of the breath I was holding. _Thank you, Crimson Dragon_, I think.

"Tch, narrowly escaping death. Persistent and annoying," Lester says. "No matter, I'll just wrap up by defeating you, Luna. I set one card face-down and end my turn."

"I won't let Leo's will go in vain," Luna says, beginning her turn.

**Lester S.C. 1, Luna S.C. 8**

"Alright, I Summon _Regulus_ to the field in Attack Mode," Luna starts.

**Regulus ATK: 1700, DEF: 0, Level 4**

The white lion appears and growls at Lester. _You won't get the best of me,_ he says.

"This is it Lester, I play my Trap _Ancient Sunshine_! When I control a face-up _Regulus_, I can banish _Ancient Fairy Dragon _from my Extra Deck and inflict 2100 points of damage to you," Luna says.

"That'll put Lester at 100 Life Points," I say. "So long as she gets a Speed Spell, this duel is as good as over!"

"Yeah, but look at the way Lester is smiling," Shoshan says.

Lester is, in fact, smiling evilly. "I'm afraid your Trap will be halted by my own, _Infinity Force_. When I control a monster with 'Infinity' in its name, I can zero-out the damage from a card effect and destroy all monsters my opponent controls," he says.

So, instead of hitting Lester, the yellow beam that _Regulus_ shot reflects off a clear barrier. "_Regulus_…" Luna says.

"You've run out of options now," Lester says, beginning his turn even though Luna hadn't said she was done. But I really don't think she could have done anything else anyways.

**Lester S.C. 2, Luna S.C. 9**

"_Meklord Emperor Skiel,_ attack her directly and end this duel!" Lester shouts.

A red burst of energy comes from _Skiel_ and Luna holds her arms up defensively.

Now the Combat Lane that Shoshan and I are on merges with the one Luna's on. I quickly ride my Duel Runner in front of Luna and take most of the force from the attack.

**Luna's Life Points: 0, Winner Lester**

With the duel over we stop. Lester glares back at us. "Hmph, I'll go full-out next time," Lester says angrily. "Then there won't be anything left."

Then, laughing like crazy, Lester disappears into a door-shaped portal. At this point the rest of Team 5Ds-including Leo-have made it to this Combat Lane.

"Are you two okay?" Yusei asks.

"A little shaken, but other than that I'm good," Luna replies.

"Ditto," I say, wincing as a small shot of pain runs through my arm. The attack had burned of some skin. "Okay, it hurts a little," I add.

And strangely I can't heal it either. _It's exactly like with the Dark Signers,_ I think.

_Whatever that Infinity Symbol is,_ Reshiram says, _it blocks your powers just like the Earthbound Immortals._

"I guess we're done here," Jack announces.

"Yeah, and right now I feel like taking a nap or something," Crow adds.

"Let's go get you patched up Sky," Yusei says. And we return home.

_These Meklord Emperors… What are they? Why do they want to get rid of Synchro Monsters? And above all else, will we be able to stop them?_ I think.

**XXX**

Me: …And that wraps up this chapter.

Sky: For not updating in a month, I guess this is fine.

Leo: I still don't like Lester.

Me: I don't really like any of the bad guys, so for once I agree with you Leo.

*Everyone gasps*

Crow: I'm going to celebrate by blowing up something!

Sydney: You'll have to beat me to it.

Me: NEITHER OF YOU ARE GOING TO BLOW SOMETHING UP! Give me all items you have that can start a fire or make an object explode. NOW!

*One hour later*

Sydney: That's it. *Hangs head*

_There is a stack of possible weapons that reaches the ceiling._

Me: Thank you. *Takes a flamethrower, sets the pile on fire, then destroys the flamethrower*

Crow: I had an antique in there!

Me: Too bad. *Puts out the fire*

Sky: *Making incomprehensible squeaking sounds*

Me: Yeah, that was a bit uncalled for.

Sky: …You could understand that?

Me: *Nods* I get into squeaking conversations with my friends a lot.

Sky: I can understand that.

Me: Good! Okay, before I get lost in some random topic, please review! If you want to flame it…

Jack: I'll do it.

Me: Eep! *Runs out the door*

Jack: Serves you right.


	35. Chapter 35: Tinkering

Me: I'm going to leave all the explaining of where I've been to the end. I'm sure my lovely readers (especially the one with butcher's knives) will be happy to read the chapter ASAP. You all should know by now what I own and do not own, so without further ado, here is the long-awaited chapter 35!

Chapter 35

Right now I'm sitting at a fancy table in an even fancier restaurant with Jack, Crow, and Yusei. Mina and Trudge are on the other side of the table. Both are silent and looking at us in a way I think they want something.

"So?" I place my fork down as I ask this. Not that I had intended to eat. "What do you mean?" Mina replies.

Yusei looks up. "Nothing in this world is purely free. What do you want from us?"

"Took the words right out of my mouth," I mutter. No one hears me say this.

"I agree with Yusei," Jack says.

The two officers exchange glances and Trudge shrugs. "Okay, the truth is, we have a favor to ask of you."

"If there's another Ghost running around, I am not going to help catch him," I state, internally shuddering as I recall the event.

"It's nothing like that," Mina says abruptly. "A few nights ago a young man was found unconscious on the beach. He unfortunately has amnesia and we can't exactly take care of him."

"We were hoping you four could take care of him, if only for a little while." Trudge sees our faces. They were pretty much saying no. "Please?"

Jack slams his fist onto the table. "Our garage isn't a hotel. Four people is enough already."

Crow swallows his food. "Yeah, it's not like we could anyways."

Now Trudge punches the table. "So you plan to refuse even after we treated you to this place?"

"Pretty much. Crow's the only one who has been eating," Yusei says. "We're done here."

Yusei leaves the table and I follow him. Jack follows as well and Crow stuffs a large amount of food in his mouth before leaving.

A few minutes later and we're in the parking garage… and there is a young man tampering with Jack's Duel Runner.

"What are you doing to my Runner?" Jack demands. The young man turns around just as Jack lands a punch to his face. The guy goes flying. "Be glad I'm only doing that."

And with that said, Jack gets on his Duel Runner angrily and rides off.

"Are you okay?" I offer a hand to the guy Jack punched and help him up.

"Yeah." The guy rubs his face. "Your friend hits _hard_."

Before anything else is said, Mina and Trudge walk over. "What's going on here?" Mina asks.

Crow points at the young man. "That guy right there was messing with Jack's Runner."

"Bruno!" Mina shouts angrily. "You should know better than to mess with stuff that isn't yours!"

The young man-apparently Bruno-starts apologizing immediately. Of course, I only hear up to what I think is what his third sentence, as my head suddenly feels like it's going to explode.

"Ugh." I grunt, and then kneel down, clutching my head.

"Sky! Are you alright?" Yusei asks, running over.

"My… head…" I groan, before fainting.

**XXX**

I wake up with a start and my head barely misses colliding with Yusei's arm. "Are you okay Sky?" Yusei asks.

"I'm pretty sure," I reply. Quickly I decide to keep what I saw a secret. What I had seen really terrified me. "It was just a freak headache."

"You sure?"

I roll my eyes. "Definitely."

At this I realize that we're in the apartment and that I'm lying on the couch. Seeing my confusion, Yusei quickly says, "Mina and Trudge offered to drive you to the hospital, but I told them just to drive you home. Your Runner is here too."

"Okay." Now I notice that guy Bruno is here, typing something into the computer. "What's he doing here?"

"Turns out he's good with Duel Runners," Yusei replies.

Suddenly Bruno exclaims happily, "I've got it!"

"Seriously?" Crow pokes his head in the room. "Took you long enough. Why don't we test it out now?"

"We should wait until tomorrow. It's already past midnight," Yusei says.

_I was unconscious for nearly seven hours?_ I think in shock.

While thinking, I must have zoned out because the next thing I know is that I'm alone in the room. _I need to get that out of my head…_

Deciding that, even though I'd been out for over seven hours, I still needed sleep, I headed to my room and fell on the bed.

I never did get back to sleep that night.

**Weeks Later, around 4 a.m.…**

My door swinging open quickly and crashing into the wall wakes me up. After the door opens, a voice-belonging to the intruder-shouts, "He's not in here!"

Rubbing my eyes I sit up and glare at the intruder, and then realize it's a Sector Security officer. "What the heck are you doing here?" I demand groggily.

I don't get an answer from the officer, but another voice shouts, "I've got him!"

The officer who barged into my room apologizes and then leaves. I follow him outside, where I see them arresting Jack. The others are all outside as well, and I hear Yusei ask, "What's going on? What did he do?"

Of course, the officers just ride away, Jack's Duel Runner in tow.

"This is bad," I say. "Come on, we need to go see what's going on."

**A few hours later…**

"This is video footage caught a few nights ago on a highway," Mina says, pushing a button. On the TV next to her, it shows what appears to be Jack's Duel Runner ramming another one repeatedly until the other Runner rides off the screen. Then there is a close-up on a _Red Dragon Archfiend_ as it is roaring.

"That's Jack's Duel Runner!" Crow exclaims.

"And _Red Dragon Archfiend_," Yusei says. "But that doesn't make sense."

"Well, it's clear that he's participating in a Turbo Duel and that he's trying to make his opponent crash," Trudge says. "And unfortunately for Jack, we have three other instances in the past week that are like this."

_There's no way Jack would do something like this,_ I think. _…Right?_

As I instantly regret that thought, Crow looks down and sighs. "Well, the timing works."

"Crow!" I shout.

This is lost as Trudge leans forward. "What do you mean the timing works?" he demands. "What do you four know about this?"

I was mostly clueless, but the other three start a chorus of "Um…"

Bruno takes the lead. "Well, a little more than a week ago…"

Yusei picks up. "We were testing out some new engines and training for the WRGP." He pauses. "We were focusing on Tag Duels and team tactics, trying to learn how to play off one another and build on each other's moves."

Crow's explanation was next. "He had a card that I'd told him a hundred times to play, but he didn't. I shouted at him, he shouted back, and bam! He gets angry with us and decides to leave."

Now I understand a bit. "Is this why Jack's been in a bad mood lately?"

"Yeah," Yusei replies.

Crow walks over to the edge of the observation deck. The deck looks into a room where Jack is in.

"What's going on with you?" Crow shouts down. "We have a fight and you take it out on innocent randoms?!"

Jack simply replies, with a touch of anger and frustration in his voice, "It wasn't me. I'm innocent."

"Well you don't seem that innocent! That was _your_ Duel Runner slamming into those people and that was _Red Dragon Archfiend_ tearing through the sky. How could that have possibly been someone else?"

"All I know is that I didn't do what I didn't do."

Crow smirks. "Right," he says sarcastically. "I think I know what's going on. Since you're a pathetic has-been jerk who can't do anything by himself, you're trying to ruin out team's name! You're trying to drag us all the way to Loser Town."

"Crow you need to-" Yusei starts, but is cut off.

"You! Why don't you get down here Crow, and say everything you just said to me to my face!" Jack shouts.

"I would," Crow says, smiling, "but you're in a cell and-"

Yusei lays his hand on Crow's shoulder and attempts to tell him to stop. Crow shrugs him off and continues by saying, "I don't hang out in cells, that's where selfish ex-champs with attitude problems whose best days are way behind them hang out."

Now I'm angry at Crow, faintly remembering my time in the Facility. "Crow, SHUT THE *h-word* UP!" I shout, and then clamp my hand over my mouth.

Yusei is now trying to pull Crow away from the deck and I can hear Jack shout something at Crow as two officers are taking him away.

"So long, Jack!" Crow calls with amusement. "Hope you're happy not having any friends!"

**That night…**

I'm still out racing around the city, still trying to calm down from what happened in Sector Security HQ.

_I'm not sure what I believe anymore. I don't believe Jack would do something like this, but all that evidence…_

_ And Crow. Why on earth did he have to say those things?! That was not only ridiculously uncalled for; he was also being a hypocrite! He's probably spent more time in a cell in one sitting than Jack has in his life!_

I'm jerked out of my thoughts by Yusei's face appearing on the com screen. "Sky, you need to be on the lookout for Jack. He escaped his cell."

"Wha-that idiot! He'll be in much more trouble now!"

Yusei glances off to the side. "I know. Just… keep looking. We'll meet up at the Bridge in two hours."

"Got it." I end the call.

An hour and a half later, I spot him. Actually, I see _two_ Jacks, as much sense as that makes. One of the Jacks has an empty field and the other has a _Red Dragon Archfiend_ on it that is gearing to attack. The Jack with the empty field seems to be slightly in pain.

I ride up alongside of them. "What is going on here?" I demand.

The Jack with the empty field looks at me. "I can handle this myself Sky! Get out of here."

The other Jack smirks. "Oh really? Then you can stop _Red Dragon Archfiend's_ attack?" he asks. When the losing Jack doesn't answer, the winning one laughs. "I thought not. _Red Dragon Archfiend,_ end this duel! _Absolute Powerforce!_"

Just before the burning claw hits the losing Jack, his eyes widen. "Sky, get out of here! The damage in this duel is real!"

"What?!" I shout in disbelief. But I don't get an answer, as the attack hits, effectively creating a barrier of fire between me and who I believe to be the real Jack. When the smoke subsides, only the Jack who ordered the attack is on the track.

I quickly see the hole in the barrier and stop. "Jack!" I shout, running over and looking down. All that's there, much to my horror, is the ocean. "…Jack?" I ask again.

"You don't have the right to call me that," the other Jack-the imposter-says from behind me.

I whip around, furious. "You…! I know you're an imposter! And now…" I pause, not believing what I saw and willing tears not to come. I mean, I could only assume what had just happened and the facts pointed towards… well…

"I challenge you to a Turbo Duel, whoever you _really_ are."

The imposter grinned. "I'll take you on any day."

**To be continued…**

Me: …And that is where I shall stop. Yeah, the one scene I took almost everything directly from the show, but…

*All other occupants of the room are speechless, some with their mouths wide open*

Me: Oh! Don't worry! As much as I want to, I'm not killing off Jack. I'm just having Sky have the same reaction Yusei and Crow did when they found _Trust Guardian_ in the actual show.

Sky: You have an insane imagination.

Me: *Grinning* I know! …Anyways, the reasons I haven't updated in around four months: I had to finish seventh grade, my band teacher said she was going to a different school, I went to summer camp, I visited my family in New York who sadly either didn't have the Internet or didn't have Microsoft Word, one of my grandmas is sick, one of my uncles nearly lost an eye, one of my other relatives had a stroke, I've now started eighth grade, I became obsessed with the Professor Layton video game series, I've become _extremely_ obsessed with crime solving shows (mainly Criminal Minds, Psych, and The Mentalist), and last but not least, my parents limited my time on the computer and I wanted to read other people's fanfics during most of that time. Wait… I also had a killer case of writer's block.

Yusei: That's a lot of excuses…

Sky: Ditto.

Me: They aren't excuses! They're legit reasons to why I couldn't update!

Jack: Yeah right.

Me: *Jumps, then shakes my head* Can you please go away? I said sorry-*pauses*-one hundred eighty-seven times!

Crow: Why on earth would you keep track of that?

Me: I'm not answering that. Okay, before I get extremely carried away, I ask for reviews, as always.

Crow: Don't forget I'll flame it for you!


	36. Chapter 36: Imposter

Me: Hey look! It didn't take me four months to update this time!

Sky: Nice, because I want to find out what happens.

Me: Uh, you might not, eh, like the end to this chapter.

Sky: Great…

Leo: Can I make some popcorn?

Me: *clenches fists* No, and please do not ask again. By the way, do any of my readers like the show Criminal Minds? I am _so_ obsessed with it right now. I want to rant about it, but I think I might wait.

Crow: Should I go warn the characters from that show?

Me: …About what?

Crow: That they might end up being chased around by a psycho authoress that sometimes likes to kill off the main characters for fun!

Me: Aw, come on! I've only thought of killing one of them-maybe two-but that would be in an alternate ending to a fanfic I may or may not write!

Crow: I'll just go tell them to watch out now…

Me: Agh, just go! Before I get too carried away, I should start the chapter now. Disclaimers, well, I'm fairly certain you all know I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5ds and I do own my OCs. Enjoy!

Chapter 36

_I whip around, furious. "You…! I know you're an imposter! And now…" I pause, not believing what I saw and willing tears not to come. I mean, I could only assume what had just happened and the facts pointed towards… well…_

_ "I challenge you to a Turbo Duel, whoever you _really_ are."_

_ The imposter grinned. "I'll take you on any day."_

**XXX**

"Duel!"

**Imposter Jack's Life Points: 4000, Sky's Life Points 4000**

"I'm taking the lead," I start angrily.

**Imposter S.C. 1, Sky S.C. 1**

A quick glance at my hand told me I was in for a rough Duel, and not just because I was Dueling someone with Jack's Deck. "I'll start off with Summoning _Celestial Defender_, obviously in Defense Mode."

**Celestial Defender ATK: 500, DEF: 2000, Level 2**

"I end with a face-down."

The Imposter grins. "You call that a move?" he asks. "That was pathetic! I draw!"

**Imposter S.C. 2, Sky S.C. 2**

"Because you control a monster and I don't, I'm allowed to Special Summon _Vice Dragon_, although its power is halved," Imposter Jack says.

**Vice Dragon ATK: 1000, DEF: 1200, Level 5**

As the dragon appears, I can't help but think, _I'm screwed. I know what he's going to do next._

"And since that was a Special Summon, I can still Normal Summon the Tuner _Dark Resonator_," Imposter states, and then smiles. "I Tune my level 3 _Dark Resonator _with my level 5 _Vice Dragon_."

"_The ruler's heartbeats will now file through here! Take witness to its creation-shaking power! _Synchro Summon! My very soul, _Red Dragon Archfiend!"_

**Red Dragon Archfiend ATK: 3000, DEF: 2000, Level 8**

I want to scream right now. This… this… monster has no right whatsoever to use Jack's best card. Instead, I bite my lip and clench my fist together.

"Go ahead, _Jack_," I say, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "See what happens when you make me angry."

"I told you before, you don't have the right to call me Jack."

"Yeah, because you really aren't Jack! Just a stuck-up imposter!"

The Imposter snorts. "You'll take those words back once I defeat you. Go ahead _Red Dragon Archfiend,_ why don't you show her pathetic knight off the field? Attack with _Absolute Powerforce_!"

I let out an audible growl of frustration as the attack rips through my monster. And then I realize that the real Jack was right when he said there was real damage; I could see a scorch mark on the road.

"Not so tough when you're facing a King, now, are you?"

I bite back a smart-aleck comment and glare at the Imposter, "Just finish your turn already."

"I will, but not before placing two cards face-down."

I draw my card without announcing my turn, while pulling ahead of the Imposter.

**Imposter S.C. 3, Sky S.C. 3**

Taking a look at the card, I smile. _This should turn things around._

"I Summon _Celestial Rose_ to the field in Attack Mode!"

**Celestial Rose ATK: 0, DEF: 0, Level 1**

A silver and gold colored well… obviously a rose appears on my side of the field. Its thorns are out and look slightly menacing.

"You call that a monster? I've seen trees that look more menacing than that flower!" the Imposter says with a laugh.

_Just wait until you see its effect, _I think. "I end with one face-down."

"My turn then," the Imposter says.

**Imposter S.C. 4, Sky S.C. 4**

"You don't stand a chance! I Summon _Luster Dragon_ in Attack Mode!"

**Luster Dragon ATK: 1900, DEF: 1600, Level 4**

"_Luster Dragon_, attack her pathetic rose!" the Imposter shouts.

"You're going to have to try better than that," I interrupt. "I activate my trusty Quick-Play _Speed Spell-Celestial Reflector_, which means that your attack is null and void, _Jack_."

The Imposter frowns. "You forgot about my _Red Dragon Archfiend_, it can still attack, and has much more strength than your flower does. _Red Dragon Archfiend, _show her what I mean!"

I brace myself, knowing full well that my Life Points were needed as a sacrifice if I was going to turn this Duel around. Even so, as the dragon's claw ripped through _Celestial Rose_ and on into me, I weave off-course, wobbling slightly.

**Sky's Life Points: 1000**

I also definitely feel blood rolling down my face, but it doesn't matter. Because as the dust settles, one of my ace monsters, other than my Synchros, is standing next to me.

"That was your mistake, _Jack_; since you destroyed _Celestial Rose_ in battle, I'm allowed to Special Summon a 'Celestial' monster from my Deck that has equal or less ATK than the damage I took. The monster I Summon also gains 500 ATK," I say.

**Celestial Knight-Jupiter ATK: 2900 to 3400, DEF: 1000, Level 8**

The Imposter snarls at me. "Grr, I end my turn."

"That means it's my turn," I say. The card I draw makes my plan even better.

**Imposter S.C. 5, Sky S.C. 5**

"Since I have a face-up 'Celestial' monster, I can Special Summon _Celestial Knight-Saturn_ in attack mode," I say with half a smile on my face. "And because I did so, I get one card from my Graveyard as an added bonus. I choose my _Speed Spell-Celestial Reflector_."

**Celestial Knight-Saturn ATK: 2000, DEF: 1000, Level 4**

A knight clad in dark gold-and-silver colored armor appears next to me. He joins the larger knight that is clad in royal purple armor. Both knights hold long swords.

_If only I had another monster in my hand, this Duel would be mine,_ I think. _Well, possibly mine, since he has those two face-downs._

"Let's go, _Celestial Knight-Jupiter_! Show _Red Dragon Archfiend_ what you're made of with _Imperial Thunder Slash!_" I shout with glee.

Of course, the moment of happiness was not to last. "You think I'll let you even touch my _Red Dragon Archfiend_?" the Imposter asks. "I activate the Continuous Trap _Fiendish Chain_! Not only does this card prevent that _Celestial Knight-Jupiter_ from attacking, it also negates his effects."

Several slightly-glowing chains appear and wrap themselves around my larger knight, effectively binding him.

_Actually, I expected that move. Just wait for the second effect of _Celestial Rose_ to kick in, then we'll see who is laughing._

"Well, my _Celestial Knight-Saturn_ can still get rid of your other dragon, _Jack_," I say. "So go ahead, _Saturn_, wipe that smile off his face!"

_I'll be happy to, Mistress_, said my knight. Then he drove his sword through _Luster Dragon_, the latter separating into tiny pixels.

**Imposter's Life Points: 3900**

Even though he hardly lost any Life Points, the Imposter's Runner quivered violently. I had accidentally put some of my own power into that attack, in addition to whatever freaky force was making the damage real in this battle.

Oops.

_You seriously need to be more careful_, a voice says. I know it's Reshiram and that she wants to give me a scolding, most likely, so I shut her out and continue my turn.

"I'm going to place a card face-down and end my turn," I say, and then grin wildly.

Many silver thorns appear to be coming out of the ground, enveloping _Red Dragon Archfiend_.

"What is this!?" the Imposter demands, shock and anger clearly visible on his face.

"That, my _friend_," I say, quite literally forcing the word 'friend' out, "is why you don't want to mess with _Celestial Rose_. You see, _Celestial Rose_ has a second effect: when it is removed from the field, during my next End Phase-which is now-I'm allowed to select and destroy one monster on the field. I'm pretty sure it's obvious what my choice is."

If looks could kill, I would probably have just been hit by a nuclear warhead, brought back to life, and killed again, this time slowly and painfully, by the look the Imposter is giving me.

Strangely, I can imagine the same look on the real Jack's face.

The thorns drag the thrashing dragon into the ground and disappear altogether. I let out a breath I was holding; I had thought that the Imposter would have found a way around that. The real Jack probably could have.

"You are going to pay for that," the Imposter snarls at me. "It's my turn!"

**Imposter S.C. 6, Sky S.C. 6**

The look on the Imposter's face looks like it was a bad draw, but that he was formulating a plan. Great, that's just what I need.

"I set a card face-down and end my turn."

I hesitate before I draw. Now I know something is up, and I'd rather not find out. "I draw!"

**Imposter S.C. 7, Sky S.C. 7**

I look at the card. _Perfect._

"I play the Quick-Play _Speed Spell-Mystical Space Typhoon_! I remove 2 of my Speed Counters to destroy that _Fiendish Chain_," I say.

**Sky S.C. 5**

"And with that out of the way, and no monsters on your field, my knights will attack you directly, _Jack_."

"Actually, that just gives me the chance to activate _Battle Fader's_ ability," the Imposter says. "I can Special Summon it, and also call an abrupt end to your Battle Phase."

As the small monster appears, it sounds like a bell rang, and my knights stop their attacks.

**Battle Fader ATK: 0, DEF: 0, Level 1**

I frown. _I forgot he had that card._ Shortly followed by; _This Imposter is good. Now why did I think that?!_

"I guess I'll end my turn then," I say. "You're up."

"I know that," the Imposter says, slightly irritated. "I draw!"

**Imposter S.C. 8, Sky S.C. 6**

The Imposter grins, which looks a lot like a smirk. "This is just what I need to win! First I Summon the Tuner _Dread Dragon_," he says.

**Dread Dragon ATK: 1100, DEF: 400, Level 2**

"Now I activate one of my face-downs, which just so happen to be the Continuous Trap _Powerful Rebirth_! This lets me bring back _Luster Dragon_, increasing its Level by one and its ATK by 100," the Imposter says.

_What are you planning? I've already defeated your _Red Dragon Archfiend_,_ I think.

**Luster Dragon ATK: 1900 to 2000, DEF: 1600, Level 4 to 5**

"I Tune my Level 2 _Dread Dragon_ with my Level 1 _Battle Fader_ and Level 5 _Luster Dragon_! Surprised, are you? I Synchro Summon my second _Red Dragon Archfiend_!" the Imposter shouts.

**Red Dragon Archfiend ATK: 3000, DEF: 2000, Level 8**

"N-No way! There's only one copy of that card in existence!" I exclaim.

Then it hits me. _If this Imposter copied Jack's entire Deck, then he would have thought ahead and made multiple copies of _Red Dragon Archfiend._ If only I knew how that works…_

The Imposter smiles, "Well, there's obviously more than you knew about." He pauses. "I activate another one of my face-down cards, another Continuous Trap called _Shadow Spell_! With this, I can select a monster on the field. It loses 700 of its ATK Points and it can't attack! Obviously, I choose your _Celestial Knight-Jupiter._"

I wince. _There goes my field advantage._

"Now, _Red Dragon Archfiend,_ attack her _Celestial Knight-Saturn_ and end this Duel! Go, _Absolute Powerforce_!"

"I play the Quick-Play _Speed Spell-Celestial Reflector_!" I counter, internally praising myself for choosing that card instead of a monster when _Celestial Knight-Saturn's_ effect was activated. "You know what it does."

"Hmph, you get another turn then," the Imposter says.

"Good," I say while drawing my card. I wince slightly as I do so, the pain from the earlier _Red Dragon Archfiend_ attack starting to get to me.

**Imposter S.C. 9, Sky S.C. 7**

"I Summon the Tuner _Celestial Knight-Uranus_! But he won't be staying long, for I Tune him with my Level 4 _Celestial Knight-Saturn!_ _As night falls and darkness rises, the stars gather together to form one mighty beast! _Synchro Summon! Bring forth the light_, Celestial Dragon-Quasar!_" I chant.

**Celestial Dragon-Quasar ATK: 3000, DEF: 2000, Level 8**

"Not only that, but because my _Celestial Knight-Uranus_ was used in the Synchro Summon of a 'Celestial' monster, he can come back to the field in Defense Mode!"

**Celestial Knight-Uranus ATK: 1500, DEF: 1000, Level 4**

One of the Imposter's eyes twitch. "You just don't know when to give up, do you?" he asks.

I laugh. "Me? Give up? If you were the _real_ Jack, you would know I would _never_ do something like that!" I pause, flinching as I stop laughing. "Since our dragons have the same power, I'm just going to end my turn."

"My turn." The Imposter pulled the card from his Deck.

**Imposter S.C. 10, Sky S.C. 8**

"You're going to regret messing with me, Fudo, because I just drew the card that marks your defeat! I activate the effect of _Speed World 2_, which says I can remove ten Speed Counters and destroy one card on the field. Obviously I choose _Celestial Dragon-Quasar_."

A bolt of light from the Imposter's Runner tears through my silver dragon. _Crap. That was my best card._

"Now I Summon _Archfiend Interceptor_ to the field in Attack Mode!" he continues, adding to my fear that I might lose this turn.

**Archfiend Interceptor ATK: 1400, DEF: 1600, Level 4**

"_Archfiend Interceptor_, take out _Celestial Knight-Uranus_!"

Now I'm wide open, and the card I have down won't do a thing against a direct attack, much less one from _Red Dragon Archfiend_.

The realization hits me almost like I ran into a brick wall. _I'm going to take the next attack, and lose. Oh my god, this is going to hurt _so_ much._

"_Red Dragon Archfiend,_ end this Duel! Attack with _Absolute Powerforce_ and finish the rest of her Life Points!" the Imposter shouts with what seems like glee.

The dragon's claw becomes wrapped in flames, and strikes me without holding back. If I thought my Duel with Roman had hurt, then words couldn't begin to describe what I feel now.

**Sky's Life Points: 0. Winner: Imposter Jack**

My Runner gives out after my Life Points hit 0, and I skid along the ground, only adding to the immense pain I felt.

In the moment before I lose consciousness, I realize four things. First, that strange Infinity Symbol had appeared at the beginning of the Duel, and that's why the damage was real. Secondly, I wouldn't be able to heal myself. Third, I probably shouldn't have gone into this Duel angry.

And the last thing, of all the times to have humor smack me in the face, was that neither of the two _Red Dragon Archfiends_ that the Imposter had Summoned were red. One of them was purple and the other was blue.

I swear I lost consciousness with a grin on my face.

**XXX**

Me: There, that's how I end the chapter. Oh yeah, Crow, you probably did a good thing warning those Criminal Minds people. The original idea for this chapter ended with… well… you know.

Sky: I'm not even going to bother with that, but seriously, what was up with the different colored _Red Dragon Archfiends_?

Me: I just can't believe the real characters-no offense-didn't see that in the original show. I mean, it isn't _Red Dragon Archfiend_ if it's purple!

Sydney: So true. So very, very true…

Me: …Okay… I guess I'll just request the usual. Reviews are lovely! Flames are okay too! If you don't like my story, I want to hear why!

Crow: Tell me if you flame it! I'll help you!

Sydney: Me too!


	37. Chapter 37: Finding the Truth

Me: *Has on the hugest grin and is making incomprehensible squeaking noises*

Jack: What's your problem?

Crow: Her problem is everything.

Jack: I didn't ask you!

Me: *Blinks* I SAW IT IN TARGET!

Sky: …What did you see?

Me: PROFESSOR LAYTON AND THE MIRACLE MASK! I've seen all three trailers multiple times and I WANT THAT GAME SO FREAKING BAD!

Sky: Is that all?

Me: No, my friend also let me borrow Pokémon Black 2 even though I want White 2 and in the newest episode of Criminal Minds Reid actually hit the softball! …And then the weird picture-taking stalker appeared again. Totally ruined the mood.

Sky: Huh.

Me: Yeah. Well, I guess I should get on with the chapter, so… You should know the disclaimer by now. Hope you enjoy the newest addition to Blue Sky! It does go back and forth between POV's, so I hope it isn't too confusing…

Chapter 37

**Third Person**

**Minutes earlier…**

Yusei knew something was wrong. He could feel it in his gut. Oh, he had a suspicion when Trudge called saying that Jack had escaped his cell. But now, as he sped down a Combat Lane he had seen some powerful attacks coming from, his gut was screaming it.

Crow joins in the chase now, pulling up alongside Yusei.

"Have you seen Sky yet, Yusei?" Crow asks.

"No."

"Oh. I hope that shattered barrier back there has nothing to do with her then."

"Shattered barrier?"

Yusei realizes he had been focusing on the strain of attacks farther down the Lane than to pay attention to the safety barriers.

"Yeah, I wonder what caused that…" Crow trails off, and then gasps in surprise. He comes to a halt, and Yusei copies.

Jack and _Red Dragon Archfiend_ are blocking the Combat lane. Not far off to the left, the barrier is also shattered.

"Jack! What are you doing?" Yusei asks.

Jack simply smirks, and lifts his hand. _Red Dragon Archfiend_ makes a barrier of fire between them and it lasts for a few seconds. When it fades, both Jack and the dragon are gone, and a lone card is sitting on the ground.

Yusei gets off of his Duel Runner to grab the card. When he sees it, he nearly stopped breathing.

The card was _Celestial Dragon-Quasar._

**XXX**

**Sky's POV**

When I woke up, I had expected to see either the roof of my apartment or the roof of a hospital. So, when I see what appears to be darkness and purple mist, I'm quite a bit confused.

I'm also confused by the fact that I'm not feeling any pain. The last thing I can remember is that I had fallen off my Runner right after I lost to that Imposter Jack. I should be hurting really bad right now.

"Sky? What are you doing here?" a familiar voice asks.

I attempt to spin around, but some type of rope tied around my arms, legs, and waist keeps me from doing so. "Is that you Jack?" I ask in return.

I hear him humph. "Of course it's me," he says.

"Sorry, it's just that I saw the Imposter of you," I say. "And to answer your question, I have no idea what I'm doing here."

"That's lovely."

"Yeah, it is." I try to move again, but the ropes keep me from doing so. "Jack, can you move?"

A few seconds later, "No, and when I can move, whoever tied these ropes is going to be in a world of hurt."

"Ditto."

And that's when a weird screen of some sort appears in front of me and, I assume, Jack. It was really just a large oval of light. Then the light slowly dims, and there's a scene on it.

**XXX**

**Third Person**

"He wouldn't do something like this," Yusei says for the umpteenth time.

"We know that Yusei. But what else could it be? No one else has a copy of _Red Dragon Archfiend_, heck, I don't think there even _are_ other copies, and there's definitely only one Duel Runner like Jack's," Crow says.

Yusei shook his head. "I still don't think it's him. I feel like we're missing something."

Crow yanks his hair in frustration. "C'mon Yusei, what else _could_ it be?"

"That there's an imposter running around," another voice says.

Both young men look up and see Carly standing by the door. "How long have you been standing there?" Yusei asks.

Carly shrugs. "Long enough to know what you guys were talking about." She pauses to pull something out of her bag. "Anyways, you need to see this."

She hurries down the short staircase, waving her camera around. "Okay, I know this'll sound really weird, but there are two Jacks running around. I started snooping around, because I _know_ Jack wouldn't do what he was accused of."

"We all do," Yusei says. He glances at Crow. _At least I hope so._

Carly nods. "Well, I found this couple and they showed me a picture from the night that Jack escaped. I had to scratch up a little money, but they gave me a copy."

She holds her camera so that Yusei and Crow can see the screen. On it is a picture that clearly shows two _Wheel of Fortunes_, and their riders. Both riders also appear to be Jack Atlas.

"Bu-How the heck is that even possible!? Jack's Runner is one-of-a-kind!" Crow exclaims.

"I was sort of hoping you guys could tell me," Carly admits. She returns the camera to her bag. "So, um, if you find anything, can you call me? I'm hoping to write a story to clear Jack's name, but I need some more facts first."

"Sure," Yusei says. Carly grins and leaves.

"Well that changes things," Crow says, ending an awkward silence.

"Yeah." Yusei stops, and remembers something. "Crow, wasn't there two spots of that safety barrier that was shattered?"

"D'ya think you're on to something?"

"Think about it. If Sky crashed through the wall, she wouldn't have made two holes in the barrier, especially not that far apart."

"There was a person who crashed before Sky did."

"Maybe."

**XXX**

**Sky's POV**

On the screen-thing, the image shows part of a cliff. Whatever this is comes with sound too, because I can hear someone talking. It's Yusei.

"Crow, I don't think anything's here."

"Wait," I hear the reply, "I think I see something. It's at the bottom of the cliff."

My ginger haired friend comes into view on the screen.

"What the *h-word* is this?" Jack asks from behind me. I still hate the fact that I can't move.

"I think this is happening right now," I reply.

_Is that what it is, Reshiram?_ I think. There isn't an answer, which shocks me.

But before I can go in depth into this discovery, there's a gasp of surprise from the screen.

"Oh no," Crow's voice sounds. On screen, his face looks like it's in shock. He's looking at a card, but the image only shows the edge of it.

"What is that? Is it one of Jack's cards?" Now Yusei appears on the screen, bending down next to Crow.

Crow's face scrunches up in pain. "It's _Trust Guardian_. He-he wouldn't drop this." The card falls out of Crow's hand. "Something's happened. I-I can't believe I said all that mean stuff to him!"

"Crow, calm down."

"No… He could be gone, and-and… I'm sorry Jack!"

Behind me, Jack snorts.

"Hey, it's not funny!" I say, wishing I could move my arm to whack him. "Neither of them know where we are. How would you feel if, oh, Carly vanished and no one could find her?"

Stunned silence follows, and I concentrate on the screen. I expect to see more of what Crow and Yusei were doing, but the scene shifts.

**XXX**

**Third Person**

"It's _Trust Guardian_. He-he wouldn't drop this." The card falls out of Crow's hand. "Something's happened. I-I can't believe I said all that mean stuff to him!"

"Crow, calm down."

"No… He could be gone, and-and… I'm sorry Jack!"

Yusei picks up the dropped _Trust Guardian_. "Just what happened?" he whispers.

A sudden ringing noise gets Yusei's and Crow's attention. Yusei grabs his phone and answers it.

_"We've got trouble,"_ Carly's voice says.

"What is it?" Yusei asks.

_"Jack's been spotted on the highway again, and Sector Security is after him!"_

**XXX**

**Sky's POV**

Now we're staring at the Imposter Jack, and he's laughing. It also appears that he is racing down a highway.

"Let me go!" Jack shouts with anger. I hear him struggle against whatever was holding him, but to no avail.

"Who are you?" I ask, hoping that the Imposter could hear us.

"And what do you think you're doing, pretending to be me?" Jack adds.

The Imposter stops laughing. "You don't get it, do you?" he asks in return. "I _am_ you, Jack, a _better_ you!" Then he laughs again.

I clench my fist and tug at the strange ropes. "No you're not!" I shout it anguish. "You're _not_!"

Now the Imposter is silent, and we can hear someone in the background shouting, "Come on, Jack! You're only making things worse-turn yourself in!"

I faintly recognize the voice to belong to Kaz, the officer that Jack had helped a few weeks ago.

Jack growls behind me. "When I get my hands on this Imposter, I swear I'll-"

He stops, because the screen shows three Sector Security officers and the Imposter enter a tunnel. The Imposter runs his Duel Runner against gravity and rides up the wall, across the ceiling, and down the other side.

When it runs across the ceiling, it shatters multiple lights. The glass flies down and makes two of the officers crash. Thankfully, it wasn't Kaz.

Kaz drives out of the smoke from his partners' crash and shouts, "Jack, stop! This isn't like you! You're a good guy!"

The Imposter laughs, and then speaks directly to Jack. "Did you hear that? He thinks you're a _good_ guy! How very sweet… I guess it's safe to say he doesn't know you very well, isn't it?"

"Stop ruining my name!" Jack shouts. He struggles again, and when he can't break free of his ropes, he screams in frustration.

What comes through the screen next is completely unexpected.

**XXX**

**Third Person**

As soon as they got the call, Yusei and Crow rushed to the site Jack had been seen at. They see Kaz is the only officer still chasing the imposter.

"Hey Officer Kaz!" Crow shouts, getting both the officer and the imposter's attention.

"Stay back guys, you can't get involved," Kaz says towards the two.

"That isn't Jack, Kaz, it's some sort of loser imposter!" Crow shouts back. Yusei and Crow pull up alongside Kaz.

Kaz looks at Crow, shocked. "What are you talking about, of course it's Jack?!"

"No, it's not! He's a fake!" Yusei replies.

"A fake?!"

The Imposter laughs. "Sounds like _someone_ can't accept that I finally decided to be who I really am!"

Crow looks up, angry. "You are _not_ Jack Atlas." He lowers his head slightly. "Sure, Jack's an arrogant and selfish ego-maniac, and he _always_ eats my cereal, but he's my buddy, and 'cause of you I said some horrible things I can't take back now! You know what it's like to know you might not be able to apologize to your friend?"

**XXX**

**Sky's POV**

On screen, the Imposter laughs. "Sounds like _someone_ can't accept that I finally decided to be who I really am!"

Crow looks up, angry. "You are _not_ Jack Atlas." He lowers his head slightly. "Sure, Jack's an arrogant and selfish ego-maniac, and he _always_ eats my cereal, but he's my buddy, and 'cause of you I said some horrible things I can't take back now! You know what it's like to know you might not be able to apologize to your friend?"

"I'm right here Crow!" Jack says.

"We're both here…" I whisper, and continue watching.

Crow is continuing his rant to the Imposter. "But even if I can't tell my friend that I'm sorry, I can at least try to do things right by kicking your sorry butt," he says.

I bite my lip. "Crow, that Imposter beat Jack _and_ me. I don't know if you even have a chance."

"You lost to that loser?" Jack asks in shock. "I thought you weren't supposed to lose to anyone."

"Maybe if I hadn't gone in to that Duel angry and thinking you were _dead_ I wouldn't have lost," I snap. I blink, realizing what I said. "Sorry, I'm a _little_ frustrated right now."

"Heh, so am I," Jack says.

Back on the screen, the Imposter smirks. "Go ahead and try, pipsqueak," he says. Then he slows down, right in front of Crow. There's a flash of light, I hear Crow scream, and Jack shouts, "No!"

The screen shows the _Blackbird_ flip, and Crow land on the ground. As Yusei passes him, he asks, "Are you okay?"

"Ahahah, that little joke thought he could take me on, but a champion like me devours pipsqueaks like him on a daily basis!"

I shake my head. _Is this what Jack sounded like when he was the 'King'? Geez, he is _annoying.

"No way!" Yusei shouts. "If you were really Jack Atlas, you'd know that 'little joke' is one of your best buds, and you wouldn't do _anything_ to hurt your friends."

The Imposter rolls his eyes. "A champion has no use for friends; only losers sit around and depend on friends, champions reign alone!"

"That's a lie!" I shout, just as the screen starts to fog up.

Apparently it's not the screen; the fog was actually there, because Kaz yells, "Look out!"

I hear a shout from Yusei, but the fog completely blocks the image.

"Yusei!" both Jack and I yell at the same time.

"That does it!" I screech, and struggle harder against the ropes.

"No one messes with my mates and gets away with it!" Jack shouts. He also struggles, and I hear electricity buzz for a few seconds.

There's a blinding light, and then I see nothing, but I feel the ropes have broken off. I reach up and pull off a visor, turn, and see Jack do the same thing.

"You okay Jack?" I ask.

"I will be once I stop that Imposter," he says in reply.

We look around and discover we're in some sort of cave. Luckily, whoever put us in here also put our Duel Runners in here.

"Great!" I exclaim as we get on our Runners. "Let's go catch up to them!"

Jack starts his Runner and races through some wooden boards that were covering the entrance. It's almost sunset, but that doesn't bother us.

All we have to do is get to the Imposter before he hurts someone else.

**XXX**

Me: And that's a wrap! *Blinks* Oh God, I think I spent too much time in Pokéstar Studios.

Sky: Uh…

Me: Never mind. I'm not really in the mood to talk right now, so I'm just going to ask for reviews-

Crow: I'll flame it!

Me: Yeah, and then for people to check out the Professor Layton video game series. It needs to be much more known. I attempted to dress up as Descole from it, but everyone said I was the Phantom of the Opera. AGH! *Runs out of room*

Sky: Wow.


	38. Chapter 38: The Real Jack

Me: *Sitting on a chair, staring at the wall*

Crow: What's your problem?

Me: MYAUNTANDUNCLEGOTMETHEGAMEAN DIALREADYBEATITAND-

Sky: *Smacks me*

Me: *Rubs cheek* Thanks… Anyways, I went to visit my family for Thanksgiving, and we kind of celebrated Christmas while we were there, and one of my presents was Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask.

Sky: The game you were obsessing over before the last chapter?

Me: Yep! So I beat it in three days, since I played it non-stop, and I absolutely loved it! Well, except the last cutsceen. Some dude de-masked Descole but I didn't get to see what he looked like! This is TORTURE!

Yusei: You need to calm down…

Me: Yeah, but since tomorrow is Christmas Eve, I don't think that's really possible… Okay, here's the newest chapter of Blue Sky! Enjoy!

Chapter 38

I follow Jack, and we see the tunnel that the Imposter and our friends had been in. The exit is just up ahead, and they come out just as Jack and I jump off the ledge.

"Make way for the _real_ Jack Atlas!" Jack shouts, and rams into the Imposter.

"Jack! Sky!" Yusei shouts.

"Hey Yusei!" I wave back.

Kaz is now confused. "There really are two of them!" he exclaims.

"Duh," I say. "You think I would've let the real Jack beat me?"

Yusei pulls out two cards. "Jack, Sky, catch!" He tosses _Trust Guardian_ and _Celestial Dragon-Quasar_.

"Thanks!" I say.

"You really want me to use this card don't you?" Jack asks. He places the card into his Deck, which automatically shuffles for him. After a pause, Jack glares at the Imposter.

"You say you're a better version of me, but you're wrong. You're not a better me, you're the worst of me… you're all of my negative qualities come to life. I may have let you beat me once, but it's time for a rematch!"

I go to reach for my Deck too, and say that I'm in on this, but something holds me back. A feeling in my gut was telling me that Jack could handle himself, and it's not the best idea for me going into a Duel looking for revenge. And, for the moment, I'm agreeing with my gut.

Instead, I say, meaning it only as a joke, "Hey Jack, are you going to completely annihilate him, or are you going to let me have a shot too?"

Jack looks at me, and with a straight face he replies, "When I'm done here, this Imposter is going to be little more than a smear on the highway."

The Imposter laughs and says, "We'll see if that threat will hold during our duel. Now come on, let's begin!"

_Speed World 2_ is activated, and I see the strange infinity symbol appear around both Jacks' Duel Runners. _So the Imposter is in league with whoever controls the _Meklord Emperors_…!_

I don't have time to tell this to Yusei, as the Imposter declares, "I'll go first."

**Jack's Life Points: 4000, Imposter's Life Points: 4000**

**Jack S.C. 1, Imposter S.C. 1**

"I Summon _Archfiend Interceptor _in Attack Mode!"

The demonic-looking football player appears in full glory, boasting its 1400 ATK and 1600 DEF.

"I'll then place 1 card face-down and end my turn," the Imposter finishes. He does, however, get in one verbal jab. "Honestly, how do you plan to defeat me when I'm the better you?"

I open my mouth to refute this, but think better of it. Surprisingly, Jack only replies by saying, "Are you ready to eat those words? It's my turn!"

**Jack S.C. 2, Imposter S.C. 2**

Jack pauses, looking at the card he drew. I'm assuming it's _Trust Guardian_, since there's also a slightly surprised look on his face. He quickly shakes it off, and continues his turn. "When your field is the only one with any monsters on it, I'm able to Summon _Vice Dragon _from my hand."

**Vice Dragon ATK: 1200, DEF: 1000, Level 5**

"Now I'm Summoning the _Trust Guardian_ Tuner Monster!" Jack continues.

A small fairy wearing a blue dress appears next to Jack, and I'm glad that it's a Level 3 monster. It means he can Synchro Summon _Red Dragon Archfiend_.

Yusei is happy as well, because he exclaims, "Oh yeah!"

Of course, he could just be happy that Jack is using the card… _Nah, he's happy for the same reason I am,_ I assure myself.

Jack speeds up and rides in front of the Imposter. "I'm Tuning _Trust Guardian_ with my Level 5 _Vice Dragon_," he declares. "_The ruler's heartbeats will now file through here! Take witness to its creation-shaking power!_ Synchro Summon! _My very soul_,_ Red Dragon Archfiend!_"

In a burst of fire, the dragon appears and growls menacingly. **Red Dragon Archfiend ATK: 3000, DEF: 2000, Level 8**

"Prepare to lose!" Jack shouts.

At this point, I can hear a car approaching. This is very confusing, since cars aren't allowed on Combat Lanes, so I wonder who would be breaking the rules like this. When I see that it's Carly, I'm not as confused. I know she would do pretty much anything to get a story with Jack in it.

Kaz, however, isn't very amused. He looks back and shouts at Carly, "Pull over, this is a Combat Lane, you can't be here!"

Carly replies by saying, "It's okay! I'm a journalist!" Even though that isn't a very good excuse, Kaz doesn't say anything in reply.

Back with the duel, Jack throws out his arm and says, "I hope you're ready, because _Red Dragon Archfiend_ is attacking _Archfiend Interceptor_! Go, _Absolute Powerforce_."

_Red Dragon Archfiend's_ claw surrounds with fire, and starts to come towards _Archfiend Interceptor_. The Imposter smiles and says, "I'm more than ready, 'cause when you attack _Archfiend Interceptor,_ you take 500 points of direct damage."

A few of _Archfiend Interceptor's_ arms come together, and a small orb of flame appears between them. The ball is then flung at Jack, and it explodes right in front of him. I hear Jack grunt as the damage is real.

**Jack's Life Points: 3500**

Jack pays little attention to that, and says, "I may have taken a hit, but _Red Dragon Archfiend_ is still going to destroy _Archfiend Interceptor_." As he says this, the fire-wrapped claw descends on the doomed monster.

**Imposter's Life Points: 2400**

The Imposter shakes off the damage, and yet still manages to smile. "I place one card face-down and end my turn," Jack says.

"This should be fun!" the Imposter laughs as he draws his card.

**Jack S.C. 3, Imposter S.C. 3**

"Now you're the only one with monsters on his field, so I can Summon _Vice Dragon_ just like you did." The Imposter smirks, and then adds, "I'm Summoning the Tuner _Flare Resonator_ in Attack Mode."

**Flare Resonator ATK: 300, DEF: 1300, Level 3**

_Then that means…!_ I know what the Imposter is going to do next.

"Now _Flare Resonator_ Tunes with _Vice Dragon,_" the Imposter continues. "I Synchro Summon my own _Red Dragon Archfiend_!"

…_The dragon is purple, not red_, I think humorously. _He should call it _Purple Dragon Archfiend.

Jack frowns, and says, "A fake, just like you!"

From the corner of my eye, I see Yusei lean forward. "Two _Red Dragon Archfiends_!" he exclaims. "How is that even possible?"

Carly dangerously leans her head out the window of her car. She's clearly taking pictures. I just hope she doesn't end up running in to or over something while doing it.

"When a Synchro Monster uses _Flare Resonator _as Synchro Material, it gains 300 Attack Points," the Imposter states.

The dragon is momentarily surrounded by flames. **(Imposter's) Red Dragon Archfiend ATK: 3300**

_That's not good,_ I think. _If that hadn't happened, Jack's dragon could have gotten the upper hand since it had used _Trust Guardian_. Still, Jack can still turn the tables. There's no way he'll lose._

"Attack!" the Imposter shouts. "Go, _Absolute Powerforce_!"

The attack shoots through Jack's _Red Dragon Archfiend_, and he grunts as his Life Points are depleted. **Jack's Life Points: 3200**

He shakes it off, and says, "When a Synchro Monster uses _Trust Guardian_ as Synchro Material, it can save itself from destruction by giving up 400 Attack Points."

The real _Red Dragon Archfiend_, which had been surrounded by flames, throws them off. **(Jack's) Red Dragon Archfiend ATK: 2600**

"I place one card face-down and end my turn," the Imposter finishes. Again, he goes for a verbal jab. "So, in order to keep your dragon on the field, you humiliated it by making in weaker? How pathetic!"

"A duelist who relies too much on power will eventually be defeated by power," Jack says in return. "Allow me to demonstrate!" He whips the card from his Deck, announcing his turn.

**Jack S.C. 4, Imposter S.C. 4**

"Go, _Red Dragon Archfiend_, wipe that imposter off the field!"

"What on Earth are you doing?!" I shout.

"Your _Red Dragon Archfiend_ has less power than mine, are you just giving up now or something?" the Imposter asks in surprise.

"No, I'm just activating the _Assault Spirits_ Trap Card. See, by sending a monster with less than 1000 ATK from my hand to the Graveyard, I can give that monster's ATK to _Red Dragon Archfiend_!"

Oh. That makes _much_ more sense.

**(Jack's) Red Dragon Archfiend ATK: 3300**

"Now we've got a real clash of the titans," Jack says. The two dragons slam into each other.

"So it's mutually assured destruction that you want?" the Imposter asks.

"You're forgetting about _Trust Guardian's_ ability," Jack says. "I can still sacrifice 400 Attack Points to prevent its destruction."

**(Jack's) Red Dragon Archfiend ATK: 2900**

The purple dragon shatters, while the true one remains flying. "I place one card face-down and end my turn," Jack says. "That means the effect of _Assault Spirits _wears off."

**(Jack's) Red Dragon Archfiend ATK: 2200**

"Hmph, a wounded lizard like that can hardly call itself _Red Dragon Archfiend_," the Imposter taunts. "Just like you, it's not what it once was! It's a shadow of its former self!"

The Imposter draws his card.

**Jack S.C. 5, Imposter S.C. 5**

"Now, since there are no monsters on my field, I can Summon _Big Piece Golem_-without a Tribute-in Attack Mode," the Imposter says.

**Big Piece Golem ATK: 2100, DEF: 0, Level 5**

"Next I'm activating the _Speed Spell-Angel Baton_! I can draw two cards from my Deck and send one to the Graveyard since I have more than 2 Speed Counters. I'll also play the _Powerful Rebirth_ Trap, which enables me to Special Summon _Small Piece Golem_ from my Graveyard and then enhance its strength."

**Small Piece Golem ATK: 1100 to 1200, DEF: 0, Level: 3 to 4**

"And since I have _Big Piece Golem_ and _Small Piece Golem,_ I can Summon _Medium Piece Golem_ as well."

**Medium Piece Golem ATK: 1600, DEF: 0, Level 4**

_Geez, how many monsters is the Imposter going to Summon?_ I think. _Oh wait, if he has _Speed Fusion_ he can Fusion Summon Multiple Piece Golem. Is that what he's after?_

Turns out it wasn't, as the Imposter says, "I'll be using that _Assault Spirits_ Trap of yours as bait to Special Summon the Tuner _Trap Eater_ to the field."

**Trap Eater ATK: 1900, DEF: 1600, Level 4**

The Imposter smiles, at the same time I remember that he had used a second _Red Dragon Archfiend_ against me. That's what he's after.

"I Tune my Level 4 _Trap Eater_ with my Level 4 _Small Piece Golem_ to Synchro Summon, _Red Dragon Archfiend!_" the Imposter shouts.

This time the dragon that appears is blue. Still, it has way more strength than Jack's dragon, so I hope Jack has a plan for this.

"Wait, you've got another one?!" Jack exclaims. During their last duel, the Imposter must not have used his second copy. I guess this is a surprise to anyone…

"And now, since I've successfully Synchro Summoned, I can Special Summon the Tuner_ Synchro Magnet_ from my hand," the Imposter continues.

**Synchro Magnet ATK: 1000, DEF: 600, Level 3**

_Don't tell me he has a _third_ one,_ I think in disdain.

Sure enough, the Imposter begins to Tune _Synchro Magnet_ with _Big Piece Golem,_ but he also adds, "I'm also playing the Trap _Reincarnation Ring,_ so by releasing my Level 4 _Medium Piece Golem_ I can Special Summon a monster with twice its Level from my Graveyard. Why settle for two, when you can battle with three _Red Dragon Archfiends_?"

The newly Synchro Summoned dragon is yellow, when the one returning from the Graveyard is purple. I shake my head. _Why even call them _Red Dragon Archfiend_? They aren't even red…_

"He's got three _Red Dragon Archfiends_?!" Jack shouts in disbelief.

"Incredible," Yusei says.

"Ha-ha, this is the big finish you little clown!" the Imposter laughs. "The grand finale, the ultimate climax! My three _Red Dragon Archfiends_ are going to feast on your withering little beast!"

The first two _Red Dragon Archfiends_ attack weakened dragon, and Jack seems to be in pain from the attacks. **Jack's Life Points: 1200**

"Argh, hang in there _Red Dragon Archfiend,_ stay strong_,_" Jack mutters. **(Jack's) Red Dragon Archfiend ATK: 1400**

"This is the end! My third _Red Dragon Archfiend_ attacks!" the Imposter shouts, turning to ride backwards.

_No, it can't be over,_ I think. _Jack has to have something. He won't lose._

The yellow _Red Dragon Archfiend_ hurls a beam of fire at Jack and his dragon. It hits, and I can't see the field, or if Jack had played something. In suspense, I hold my breath, ready to step in if needed.

I let out the breath when the smoke clears and both Jack and his _Red Dragon Archfiend_ are still there. A Trap card is also face-up, which I take to be what saved him.

**Jack's Life Points: 400**

The Imposter turns back around, saying, "So you saved yourself by playing _Ray of Hope _and halving the damage."

"And let's not forget the second effect of _Ray of Hope_; at the end of the Battle Phase I can Special Summon one Level 1 monster from my hand. So I Summon _Dark Bug_!"

**Dark Bug ATK: 100, DEF: 100, Level 1**

"Cute, but it won't do you any good," the Imposter says. "Meanwhile, every time your _Red Dragon Archfiend_ takes an attack, it withers even more, just like you."

"You just don't get it, do you?" Jack asks. "It's true I've been struggling lately, but I've emerged and I'm stronger than I used to be, because I have people in my life that I trust and love."

I can practically hear Carly squeal, "Me?" after that line. It's pretty obvious.

"_Red Dragon Archfiend_, who continues to battle despite the damage it's taken and _Trust Guardian_, which continues to protect it both represent the strength my friends give me. You're the selfish Jack I used to be, the Jack that had no use for friends, which makes you the weaker one!" Jack shouts.

A crimson glow emanates from Jack, and Yusei as well. _So, the Crimson Dragon_ _is going to help out?_ I think. _Amazing._

"Now, allow me to show you what a real duelist is capable of! I hope you're ready to accept defeat because… you're gonna lose!" Jack says as he draws a glowing card from his Deck.

**Jack S.C. 6, Imposter S.C. 6**

"I Summon _Majestic Dragon_ in Attack Mode!"

**Majestic Dragon ATK: 0, DEF: 0, Level 1**

A small pink dragon appears, and I remember it from when Yusei had defeated Goodwin. _If that card let Yusei Synchro Summon a stronger _Stardust Dragon,_ does this mean Jack has a stronger _Red Dragon Archfiend?

"And now, _Majestic Dragon_ Tunes _Red Dragon Archfiend_ and _Dark Bug_! _A lone polished light, become the true high-ruler and illuminate the earth! Shine your light!_ Synchro Summon! _The great soul, Majestic Red Dragon!_"

**Majestic Red Dragon ATK: 4000, DEF: 3000, Level 10**

When the four-winged red dragon descends, all I can think is, _Amazing. I wish I had a card like that._ But my minor jealousy recedes as I know that I do have my Accel Synchro monster.

"Unbelievable," the Imposter growls.

"Believe it, you punk. _Majestic Red Dragon_ has a special ability—once per turn, it can absorb the Attack Points of one monster on your field," Jack says. "Go, _Power Drain!"_

**Majestic Red Dragon ATK: 7000**

Now _Majestic Red Dragon_ has an even more fiery aura surrounding it, and the Imposter shouts in disbelief, "7000 Attack Points?!"

"It's been nice having you around," Jack says sarcastically. "But it's time for the real Jack Atlas to stand up! _Majestic Red Dragon,_ attack with _Ultimate Powerforce!_"

The mighty dragon absorbs a cyclone of fire, and then flies at the fake _Red Dragon Archfiends._ The fire surrounding it burns away the three dragons, and the Imposter screams, but it sounds like a robot. It… It is a robot, and it explodes from the damage caused by the attack.

**Imposter's Life Points: 0, Winner: Jack**

We all stop, and watch as the cards from the Imposter's Deck disappear. I jump off my Duel Runner and run over to Jack. Yusei, Kaz, and Carly all come over to.

"That was great, Jack," I congratulate him.

"And I witnessed it all, so you'll definitely be out of trouble," Kaz says.

Carly is rapidly snapping pictures, and stops when Crow rides up. "Hold still," Crow says, peering at Jack.

"Okay," Jack says.

"It _is_ you!" Crow says happily. Then he proceeds to basically apologize, and he starts crying.

"It's okay Crow," Jack says. "It's not your fault, I was being stubborn. "Although, if you want to keep groveling, I'll accept it."

"Don't milk it, you jerk!" Crow shouts, and we all laugh.

**The next day…**

"I don't understand. It was right here! You can't just make a cave disappear!" I say.

Jack and I brought Yusei and Crow to come look at the cave where we were being held, but it's gone. Poof. And now Crow asks, "Are you _sure_ you were being held here?"

"Of course!" Jack says.

"I'm absolutely sure of it," I say. "I just wonder how it up and left. Look, not even our Duel Runner tracks are here. It doesn't add up."

I bend down and reach a hand towards the now-sealed up cliff. I don't know what I was hoping for, but nothing happens.

"…Yusei, do you think this robot had anything to do with the other one?" Crow asks.

"It's very likely," Yusei replies. "I bet that Yliaster has something to do with it as well."

"Yeah," I agree.

I turn back to look at the cliff. _Whatever this is, I'm sure we'll get to the bottom of it. Yliaster, the Meklord Emperors, everything._

**XXX**

Me: That's it!

Sky: Good! You didn't have some insane ending to it for once!

Me: I know… But, since it's almost Christmas, I decided to be nice for once.

Crow: …For once?

Me: *Grins* So, I hope everyone who reads this reviews (they really make my day), and I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year as well!

(PS: to anyone that cares, I've started on the last chapter of 5D's Prank War)


	39. Chapter 39: Practice Duel

Me: *Munching on a piece of chocolate* I feel so accomplished.

Yusei: About what?

Me: I _finally_ finished 5ds Prank War. Seriously, that went on longer than I thought it would. Also, I currently hold the high score for everything on a Quizlet thing for my language arts class.

Sky: How long did it take you to do that?

Me: About an hour. Actually, at one time I held the top 20 scores for the Scatter game on it. *Takes another bite of chocolate*

Leo: *Pokes head in the room* Can I-

Me: No, you cannot have any of my chocolate. My family gave it to me. Go away.

Leo: Aw… *Leaves*

Me: Okay, I'm going to actually put the chapter up now! I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5ds or Pokémon (but I have so many of the games and cards). I only own my OCs, Sky's Deck, and the rulings for the cards Shoshan uses. Enjoy!

Chapter 39

_Pain. Blinding, searing pain. And then… nothing._

"No!"

I jerk awake, breathing heavily. Seven times I have had that vision, so I know it's important. Still, why did my powers have to show me that vision? I haven't been able to sleep well since the first time I had it—when Bruno came.

And that's when the realization hits me again. My powers. They've been gone since my loss to the fake Jack. No visions—except this one, repeating in various ways—no Duel Spirits, no making cards real, no magic, nothing. And frankly, it's getting really annoying, especially since it's been two weeks of this.

I slow my breathing, shoving that scene, that horrid, death-filled scene, to the back of my mind. Rubbing my eyes, I head downstairs to get breakfast. When I don't see my brother in the garage, I remember how someone had requested his help in Crash Town, and that he might not be back for a few days.

Still, I don't really like it. I'm used to seeing Yusei in the garage every morning when I wake up, whether he's working or asleep on the couch. I don't even know why someone from a place in the middle of the desert would need his help.

My unease is added to with the fact that Crow is out running some early deliveries, Jack lounging around… somewhere… and Bruno is still asleep. The garage is too quiet for my liking.

_Knock, knock._

I glance up, and walk to the door. I can see Shoshan is standing there, so I swing the door open.

"Oh! Ah, hey Sky! You're actually the one I wanted to see," Shoshan says.

He reaches up and pulls off a scarf that he had wrapped around his head, covering his mouth and nose.

"Do I… want to know?" I ask slowly. "You didn't just rob a bank, or something, did you?"

"No!" he shouts. He pauses, and firmly shakes head. "Sorry, I mean no. Escolar and Sydney both have the flu, and I have a pathetic immune system. So, I was wondering if I could come over here?" He posed it as a question.

I laugh. "Shoshan, you already _are_ here," I point out.

"True…"

"Besides," I add, "it's too quiet for my liking today. You can come in."

I step to the side. Shoshan slides past me, and I close the door. "So…" he trails off. "This is where you live." His tone feels like it has a sort of accusation in it. Or maybe even… a hint of jealousy? But for what?

"Yeah," I say after a short pause. "Normally Yusei and Bruno would be holed up next to the computer, and Crow and Jack would be having an argument over something. It's not usually this quiet." I shift my weight awkwardly.

"This is going to be a long day," Shoshan groans.

"Probably."

And with absolutely nothing happening here, 'probably' is leaning more to 'definitely'. There had to be a way to pass the time. The idea came to me after a long moment of awkward silence.

"Shoshan, would you like to have a Turbo Duel with me?" I blurt.

Shoshan smiles. "Sure! I've never actually seen your Deck in action."

I grin right back. "Let's go then!"

**XXX**

"Duel!"

**Shoshan's Life Points: 4000, Sky's Life Points: 4000**

"You can go first, Sky," Shoshan says.

I hold back a smile. "Maybe chivalry isn't dead just yet. Thanks. Although, you might regret this choice." I draw my card.

**Shoshan S.C. 1, Sky S.C. 1**

A quick glance tells me I have a decent starting hand, and a way to pull off a good combo. "I'll start by Summoning the Tuner _Celestial Synchron,_ in Attack Mode. Then, its ability lets me Special Summon a Level 1 monster like _Celestial Eagle_ from my Deck. And to top of this, I can Special Summon _Celestial Wizard_ since I have out a 'Celestial' monster."

A small silver robot appears next to me, a hand on a tiny crank in its side. Flying over it is a gray-streaked eagle. Shadowing them is the wizard, his staff giving off a faint glow even though it's light out.

**Celestial Synchron ATK: 700, DEF: 1800, Level 3; Celestial Eagle ATK: 1000, DEF: 0, Level 1; Celestial Wizard ATK: 1800, DEF: 1000, Level 4**

"Wow, that's a good job," Shoshan says. "Three monsters in one turn-"

"Make that four," I interrupt. "I Tune my Level 3 _Celestial Synchron_ with my Level 1 _Celestial Eagle_ and Level 4 _Celestial Wizard!_ _As night falls and darkness rises, the stars gather together to form one mighty beast! _Synchro Summon!_ Bring forth the light, Celestial Dragon-Quasar!"_

My signature silver and purple dragon spirals into existence. With it, I swear a faint breeze ruffled me, and I hope it was my powers. More likely it was just the air around me.

"Since this is the first turn, I'll just end with a face-down," I say.

"It's my turn then!" Shoshan draws his card, looks at it, and smiles. He must have a decent combo, but exactly what it would be is beyond me. I've never seen his Deck in action before.

**Shoshan S.C. 2, Sky S.C. 2**

"I Summon _Meloetta Aria Form_ to the field in Attack Mode!"

A girl-like monster dressed in black appears next to Shoshan. Her green hair has lines, like the five-line staff for musicians on it, and also has dots representing notes on it. I think it is a fitting design.

**Meloetta Aria Form ATK: 1600, DEF: 1400, Level 4**

_What is he planning to do? _Meloetta_ stands no chance against my dragon. Unless its ability makes up for its lack of power?_

Sure enough, that's what happens. "_Meloetta Aria Form_ has a special ability: if I send two cards from the top of my Deck to the Graveyard, I can choose one of your monsters. During your next turn, its ability is disabled and it can't attack. Since you only have one monster out, I have to choose it," Shoshan explains. "Go now, _Meloetta_! _Harmonious Freeze_!"

Shoshan pulls the two cards off his Deck, smiles, and then discards them. His monster then starts singing, and giant eighth notes form around my dragon in a circle. I frown. _Guess I'll have to use a different monster next turn._

"I'll end my turn with three face-downs," Shoshan finishes.

"I won't let this ability stop me. It's my turn!" I announce.

**Shoshan S.C. 3, Sky S.C. 3**

I flip over my card. _Hmm. There isn't much I can do now, but at least it's something._ "I Summon _Celestial Defender_ to the field in Defense Mode!" I say.

My silver warrior appears, holding his giant shield. He kneels down in a defensive position, and promptly turns blue.

**Celestial Defender ATK: 500, DEF: 2000, Level 4**

"I'm also going to Special Summon _Celestial Knight-Saturn,_ since I have a 'Celestial' card out. And, because I Summoned him in this way, I get a card back from my Graveyard. I choose _Celestial Synchron_," I say.

My Tuner monster returns to my hand, and next to my dragon appears a knight in pale yellow-streaked armor. He bears a long, dark gray sword with a stone that matches the color of his armor in its hilt.

**Celestial Knight-Saturn ATK: 2000, DEF: 1000, Level 4**

I glance at Shoshan's field. Out of his three face-downs, I'm almost certain that one of them is going to be a trap if I attack, and with _Quasar's_ ability sealed this turn, I don't know if the best idea would be to attack. Still, he's probably just going to activate _Meloetta's _ability again, so I should just try to get rid of it now.

"_Celestial Knight-Saturn_ will attack your _Meloetta Aria Form_," I declare.

Shoshan smirks, and one of his face-down cards flips up. "I counter with my trap _Relic Song_. See, when a 'Meloetta' card I control is selected as an attack target, I can negate the attack, after which my 'Meloetta' is destroyed," he says.

"Why would you want to destroy your own monster?" I ask.

"You didn't let me finish explaining," Shoshan replies, "I then get to Special Summon one _Meloetta Pirouette Form_ from my Deck as a replacement."

_Meloetta Aria Form_ starts to sing a very calming melody, and my knight halts in his attack. Then _Meloetta _glows for a few second. When it dims, _Meloetta _looks entirely different; her hair a deep red instead of green, and it is also wrapped around her head.

**Meloetta Pirouette Form ATK: 2100, DEF: 1700, Level: 5**

"Well, I guess that forces me to end my Battle Phase," I sigh. "I'm going to end with a face-down. Your turn, Shoshan."

"Actually, before the end of your turn, I'm activating the Continuous Trap _Spirit Barrier_, so I won't take Battle Damage as long as I control a monster," Shoshan says. "Now, it's my turn!"

**Shoshan S.C. 4, Sky S.C. 4**

"Yes!" Shoshan shouts. "I remove from play my two WIND-Attributed monsters I sent to the Graveyard earlier, _Shaymin Sky Form _and _Tornadus, Master of Winds_ along with my LIGHT-Attributed _Meloetta Aria Form _from my Graveyard in order to Special Summon _Rayquaza, Lord of the Sky_ in Attack Mode!"

A long, green, snake-like dragon appears and curls itself above the Combat Lane. Its yellow markings glow in the light. _Rayquaza_ bares its claws and glares at my own dragon.

**Rayquaza, Lord of the Sky ATK: 3500, DEF: 3500, Level 10**

_Crap, it has more power than my _Celestial Dragon-Quasar._ And I don't even _know_ what its ability is. I'm sure since it's a Level 10 monster the ability is going to be pretty good._

"Time for battle! _Meloetta Pirouette Form,_ attack _Celestial Defender_ with _Calypso Sonic_!" Shoshan declares.

I tense up, and decide to play a face-down. "I stop your attack with my _Speed Spell-Celestial Reflector_."

Shoshan shrugs. "Then _Rayquaza _can come down and finish the job. Go now, _Rayquaza,_ attack _Celestial Defender_ with _Draco Meteor_!"

A ball of light and rock formed in front of _Rayquaza's_ mouth, and when _Rayquaza_ roared, it flew upward and then exploded. Multiple pieces of the meteor strike my knight, and he shatters into tiny pieces.

When no extra effect happens, I'm sort of glad. _So, its effect doesn't activate when it attacks or destroys a monster in battle. What does it do?_

"I'm going to be nice, and end my turn at that," Shoshan says.

"My turn then, I draw!"

**Shoshan S.C. 5, Sky S.C. 5**

I look at my card. Perfect. "I Summon _Celestial Synchron_ a second time," I say. "This way, I can Tune it with my Level 4 _Celestial Knight-Saturn. In the depths of the night sky, light shines as a pale reflection of all of our hope! _Synchro Summon! _Rise up, Celestial Dragon-Moon!_"

My new dragon has a black body, with wings barely lighter. Light gray lines mark her face and arms, and her eyes are a stunning bright green. She whips her tail in anticipation.

**Celestial Dragon-Moon ATK: 1500, DEF: 2700, Level 7**

"You're going to have to do better than that," Shoshan points out. "_Rayquaza_ has much more power than it."

The corner of my mouth twitches. "I wasn't going to stop there—I play my _Speed Spell-Celestial Fusion_! When I have five or more Speed Counters, I can send monsters from either side of the field or my Extra Deck to the Graveyard, as long as one of the monsters is on the field, and I can Fusion Summon a 'Celestial' Fusion Monster in return. So now, the darkness reigns as _Celestial Dragon-Twilight_ comes forth!"

My third dragon has six wings, just like his counterpart _Celestial Dragon-Dawn._ Unlike _Dawn,_ however, _Twilight_ has dark orange wings and his body is a lighter shade of purple. He also has piercing blue eyes, unlike _Dawn's_ deep red ones. _Twilight_ curls his wings in front of himself, and turns shades of blue.

**Celestial Dragon-Twilight ATK: 2500, DEF: 3500, Level 10**

"There! My dragon's Defense Points are the same as your dragon's Attack Points! We're going to be at a stalemate for a little while," I say. "I'll switch _Celestial Dragon-Quasar _to Defense Mode and then set-"

Shoshan shakes his head. "You won't be setting anything. _Rayquaza, Lord of the Sky_ has an ability called _Air Lock_: it prevents you from setting any card as long as he's on the field."

_That gives him a pretty good advantage._ "Okay, then I'll just end my turn."

"This stalemate won't stay here for long," Shoshan says as he draws his card.

**Shoshan S.C. 6, Sky S.C. 6**

"Hmm, I can't end the stalemate yet, but… I'm going to release _Meloetta Pirouette Form_ in order to Tribute Summon _Zapdos, Bird of Lightning_!"

The bright yellow bird has jagged feathers, and I can tell that being the 'bird of lighting' is very fitting.

**Zapdos, Bird of Lightning ATK: 2400, DEF: 2400, Level 6**

"_Rayquaza,_ finish off _Celestial Dragon-Quasar!_" Shoshan orders.

I flinch as one of my favorite cards is pummeled by the resulting meteor shower. Shoshan is going to pay…

"And that will be the end of my turn," Shoshan says.

"My turn!" I whip my next card out, and flip it over.

**Shoshan S.C. 7, Sky S.C. 7**

I narrow my eyes, and think about what to do. _I can't just stall, because Shoshan would end up either powering up _Rayquaza_ enough, or he would have enough Speed Counters for _Speed World 2's _damage effect, combined with a ton of Speed Spells. I need to end this quickly. It's just too bad I don't have more Speed Counters._

"I end my turn," I say slowly. I had no monsters to Summon, and that _Air Lock_ ability won't let me do anything with my Spells or Traps.

"Good, it's my turn then," Shoshan says.

**Shoshan S.C. 8, Sky S.C. 8**

"I'm going to Summon _Piplup_ in Defense Mode," Shoshan says.

A small blue-and-white penguin appears next to Shoshan, and then fully turns blue.

**Piplup ATK: 1000, DEF: 1000, Level 2**

"That's the end of my turn," Shoshan says.

"Time to shake things up!" I exclaim, drawing my card.

**Shoshan S.C. 9, Sky S.C. 9**

"I play the effect of _Speed World 2_, so by removing 4 Speed Counters I can inflict 800 points of damage for every Speed Spell in my hand. I have two," I say, revealing _Speed Spell-Celestial Shockwave _and _Speed Spell-Celestial Force._ "And, I can activate this effect twice."

I spin around, facing Shoshan, and my Duel Runner shoots a streak of light that passes through Shoshan's Duel Runner.

**Sky S.C. 1, Shoshan's Life Points: 800**

"That ends my turn," I say, spinning back around.

"Time to speed things up then," Shoshan says.

**Shoshan S.C. 10, Sky S.C. 2**

"I'm going to…" he trails off, glances at my dragon, and then at me. "I'm going to activate _Speed World 2's_ effect to remove 4 Speed Counters and inflict 800 points of damage for every Speed Spell in my hand." He flips over one card from his hand—a Speed Spell that I don't recognize. "That means-"

"Actually, I'm going to activate my Trap _Hallowed Life Barrier,_" I interrupt. "I'll discard one card, and all damage to me this round becomes 0. Too bad you can't take back the four Speed Counters that you already used."

**Shoshan S.C. 6**

Shoshan nods a few times. "You seem to be able to get out of any situation, Sky. Is there anything you can't do?" he asks.

_Yeah, like use any ounce of my powers. Or, apparently, defeat a fake Jack Atlas._ But I don't let onto this. I fake a laugh, and reply, "Probably, but I wouldn't t… tell…"

Something clicks. Immense pain floods my head, and I slam my brakes. Good thing I did, because not even a second after, multiple fragmented images fill my vision. They weren't enough to know exactly what was going on in them, but I could see Yusei and Kalin… two kids… an explosion… and both Yusei and Kalin lying on the ground in what appeared to be a ravine.

I let loose a huge gasp and jerk upwards. Shoshan is standing over me, his green eyes filled with worry. "Sky, what just happened?" he asks. "One second, you were perfectly fine, then you suddenly stop, and fall forward on your Duel Runner."

"I…" Really, I don't know what to say. I may have just had a vision, and as far as I know, Yusei, Jack, Crow, and Sydney are the only ones who know about them. Frankly, I didn't want very many people knowing about them. "I think Yusei is in trouble."

There. It was vague, and Shoshan didn't know how I knew this.

"Um… Do you need my help?" Shoshan asks.

I lock eyes with my friend. "Uh, sure, that would be fine. We need to go, now. Yusei's in Crash Town," I say. "It'll take a few hours to get there, and lots of things can happen in that amount of time."

"Okay. We'll have to finish this Duel later," Shoshan says. He gets back on his Duel Runner, and heads off the Combat Lane.

I follow after him. _What was that click I swear I heard just before my supposed vision? Could it… whatever it is… have something to do with my blocked powers? _

**XXX**

Me: …And there you have it! Oh, and the first line was only the tail end of the vision.

Sky: Why am I not surprised that you put in a plot twist?

Me: You know me too well!

Shoshan: I liked the chapter!

Me: Of course you did, because you're the only one other than Sky that talks in it.

Shoshan: Yeah…

Sky: I think you did better with the descriptions of the monsters.

Me: *Nods* I tried harder. It's difficult for me to translate an image in my head to writing. Well, I just hope that everyone liked this chapter, and I'd love you to leave a review! I'd really like to know what you think! Oh, and Crow wanted me to tell you guys that he'll flame this for you.

Sky: Where is he, anyways?

Me: I filed a restraining order.

Sky: …But… How…?

Me: Don't ask.


	40. Chapter 40: Crash Town

Me: Yeah, I know I took another several month hiatus.

Yusei: What happened?

Me: A lot of stuff… I'll explain everything at the end of this chapter. There'll be a _pretty_ long character-author conversation there. Anyways, my muse got a bit… creative… with the storyline. I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds, but I do own my OCs, and probably some of what happens during this chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter 40

The sun has already set by the time Shoshan and I arrive at Crash Town. I stop a good distance away from the town, and so does Shoshan.

"Listen, I think it would be a good idea for us to have the element of surprise," I say, removing my helmet. "I'm going to go check everything out. You stay here."

"No," Shoshan says. "If you think something dangerous happened, I don't want you to get hurt. _I'll_ go check things out."

I give Shoshan my best 'as if' look. "Shoshan, I was in a Duel Gang for a few years. I can handle it. Besides," I add, "if you think you're going to win this argument, you've got the wrong grasp of reality."

That's when I start walking towards Crash Town. I smile slightly when I hear Shoshan heave a sigh of defeat, but the smile fades when I remember why we came here in the first place.

_Yusei. And Kalin. I hope I'm not too late._

I hide behind part of the fence that surrounds the town as I spy on what's going on within. Nothing…

…until I spot two kids pushing along Yusei's Duel Runner, away from the noise from the center of town. I duck down, and they walk past me. I let them get a good distance away from the town.

I follow them. "Hey, what are you two doing with Yusei's Duel Runner?" I ask.

The two spin around. I hold back a gasp as I recognize them as the two kids from the half-vision. The boy, though I'm certain is the younger of the two, steps in front of his sister, and sticks a hand out protectively.

"West, wait, I don't think she's one of Malcolm's henchmen," the girl says.

I tilt my head in confusion. "Uh… Who's Malcolm?"

The girl and, I assume the boy is West, exchange glances. West looks back at me. "Who are you, then?"

I glare at the boy. "Someone that you don't want to tick off," I reply. "Now, if one of you would _please_ tell me what you're doing with my brother's Duel Runner, I would appreciate it."

"Oh!" the girl exclaims. "You must be Sky, then?" I don't have any idea how she knows this, but I nod. "Um, I'm Nico, and this is my brother, West," she says. "We were taking the Runner to the mines. That's where Yusei and Kalin are, and they're going to need help getting out of there."

The mines. I'm pretty sure it was rocky terrain, wherever my half-vision took place, so the mines didn't sound like a very good place for me to go to. But, if Yusei and Kalin need some rescuing, I guess I have to go there.

"I'm coming with you," I say.

The two nod simultaneously.

**XXX**

The kids tell me what happened as we walk. From what I hear, I feel like I have to help them. This town is going through something like what Satellite had, only with two gangs rather than a lot of them. The fact that their dad is being forced to work in the mines doesn't help at all.

A jolt of pain runs through my head, and I stop. This time, however, no images rush to my head. All I can feel is dread… but there's nothing I can do about it. So I tell Nico and West it's okay to keep walking.

**XXX**

It takes us a while, but we're finally at the mines. They're huge.

"Hopefully we'll find them in here," Nico says.

I think about the images I had seen. "We'll definitely find them," I say.

We start pushing the Runner again, up this incline. There's a field next to us, covered with Duel Disks that are tied to sticks. Creepy.

Not long after we'd started up the incline, a familiar voice stops us. "Is that you, West? Nico? Sky?"

Kalin and Yusei are below us. "Hah! We found you guys," West exclaims, and we run down to meet our friends.

Kalin looks at the kids. "Why would you two risk something like this?" he asks. He turns to me. "Sky, why would you _let_ them do something like this?"

"It was their idea. I didn't even know them until I caught them sneaking away with Yusei's Duel Runner," I reply. "Besides, nothing happened."

Nico looks at the ground. "We only wanted to help. Kalin, you're the only hero this town has," she says. "We wouldn't have a chance if you were stuck here."

I can tell what Nico said really affected Kalin. "A chance…" Kalin says. "To get your father out of the mines, right?"

"Yeah," Nico says. "He and some of his friends tried to get out a few days ago, but they failed."

"Ah," Yusei mutters. He reaches into his jacket and pulls out a blue necklace.

West reaches for it. "That necklace…! Let me see it!" He takes it and both he and Nico examine it. "It's definitely our father's necklace. How did you get this? Is our father alright?" West seems angry now.

"I… don't know," Yusei says.

This situation doesn't seem like it will end well.

Sure enough, West gets really angry. "What do you mean you don't know? Were you just going to leave the other prisoners in there to fend for themselves? They deserve their freedom too!"

"You're right. And I'm not leaving until I fix it," Yusei says.

"I don't think that's going to be easy," I say. "But I'm in."

Yusei nods, thinking things over. "I know how to remove the restrictor collars, so that's a start."

"You're going to need a lot more than a start to help these people," Kalin says.

Wait, is Kalin really trying to persuade Yusei to not go through with this? Since when has that ever worked?

"I know. But we're the only ones who will help them, so are you in or out, Kalin?"

A pause, and Kalin nods slowly. And not a moment too soon. Several engine noises sound from the incline. Someone on a huge Duel Runner is coming, and there are two goons next to him.

"It's Lawton, we need to get out of here," Yusei says. He runs over to his Duel Runner, and gets on it. "I'll distract them; you guys get out of here."

"Hey!" I start to argue, but then realize it would be pretty pointless. I don't have my Duel Runner with me. I sigh. "Be careful Yusei."

I turn, and follow Kalin and the two kids into one of the tunnels. It doesn't take long for the two goons to catch up.

Man. I seriously wish I could use my powers. Those two wouldn't know what hit them.

"Quick, get in the cart!" Kalin says. Ahead of us is a small mine cart that looks like it has seen better days.

_It might work, though,_ I think. _The cart can move faster than we can run. Hopefully, it will be fast enough to get away from the goons._

We jump in, and Kalin starts pushing the cart. "Hurry up, they're gaining on us," I say.

Now we're in another tunnel, and Kalin quits pushing the cart and instead jumps in. The cart is gaining speed, and quickly. But will it be enough?

I look ahead at the track. "You might want to hold on," I say. It looks like there might be several long drops on the track just ahead. It's what I would expect to happen in a movie if the characters were in a situation like this.

Man. Why is it that I get stuck in a cliché now?

The drops rattle the cart so bad, I'm afraid that it will either fall off or break. But it doesn't, and the track returns to its normal decline. I let out the breath I had been holding, and then look back. The goons are still chasing us.

And out of the first goon's Duel Runner come chainsaws.

…Really? Are the chainsaws necessary?

"I'll saw that cart in half!" the goon shouts at us.

Nico and West both pick up rocks from the bottom of the mine cart. "We'd like to see you try!" West shouts back, and throws the rock at the goon. Nico throws hers as well.

It was a good idea, but the rocks only make him angrier. "You'll pay for that," he growls. The chainsaws are inches away from the cart.

"Get back," Kalin says. He could have been directing it at Nico, West, and I, or he could have directed it at the goon. Either way, West ignores him, lifts a bigger rock, and throws it at the goon's face.

The crunch of the impact makes _my_ face hurt just by hearing it.

Now there's quite a bit of distance between us. "Nice job, West. You're pretty tough for a kid," Kalin says.

"It's only because I watched you, Kalin," West says.

"You taught us both about how to deal with trouble," Nico adds.

It doesn't seem like I should be a part of this conversation, and I'm clueless about what they're talking about. The conversation doesn't last long, however, because I turn to watch where we were going.

"Kalin, pull the break lever," I say.

"Are you crazy?" West asks.

"They'll catch us!" Nico adds.

I assume Kalin listened to me. Really all I could see while I was trying to keep the cart steady were sparks. My hands clutch opposite sides of the cart so hard my knuckles turn white. I can feel the cart tilting greatly to the right, so I shift to the left, and seconds later I hear a thud as the cart returns to using all four wheels.

When I hear two large crashes from the direction we came from, I know the two goons that had been chasing us didn't quite make the turn. I heave a sigh of relief. _We're safe, for now._

"Good job Kalin," I say.

He shrugs off my praise. "It was nothing. If you hadn't seen the turn coming, we would be in the same position as those guys back there."

Kalin returns to being silent, and I frown. Something about him just seems off. I can't place it though…

Our cart takes us into an underground cavern, where it stops. It's also where our luck runs both in and out at the same time. There are a bunch of other workers-slash-prisoners in the cavern, which is good. The bad part is that we happened to show up as the goons were switching off.

"Nico, West, stay in the cart," Kalin says.

I have no doubt he would have told me the same, but I'm already halfway out, looking for something I could use as a weapon. As luck would have it, two abandoned pickaxes are only several meters from the cart. Those would do just fine.

The goons start getting closer, and one of the bigger ones shouts, "Hey! What're you two doin'?"

I put on the largest grin I could muster and reply, "Absolutely nothing!"

Then I dash for the pickaxes, grab them, and I toss one to Kalin. "Just like old times, minus a duel, right Kalin?" I ask.

Kalin gives me a half smile. "Sure."

"You two! Don't move, or we'll activate your restrictor collars!" another goon shouts. I'm pretty sure that he realizes we don't have the collars directly after he says that, and so do the rest of the goons. A third of them—there are about twenty goons in total—pull out stun guns (or at least I hope they're not real ones). The rest have whips in hand.

They circle around us and slowly close in. "Aim for the Duel Disks," Kalin tells me under his breath. "That's how they're controlling the other prisoners. If the Duel Disks are out of the way, those guys might help us."

"'Kay. You want to attack on three?"

"Hey lady, we said no talking!" a smaller goon says.

I roll my eyes. "No you didn't. _One._"

The last part I say under my breath, so that only Kalin can hear.

"She's right," Kalin agrees. "You said we weren't allowed to move. You never said anything about talking. _Two."_

"Besides, who said you guys control us?" I ask.

Some of them laugh. A less thuggish, and probably smarter, goon says, "We've got the numerical advantage and," he gestures to the guns that several of them have, "stun guns."

"Yeah? Well we have pickaxes and skill on our side." My stomach is about to explode from all of my excitement. My takes the rest of my patience. "_Three_."

I catch the first guy off-guard and easily smash his Duel Disk. When he tries to retaliate with his whip, I duck and swing my legs at his own. _One goon down_, I think as he falls back, _and if we're splitting the work, only nine more to go._

The rest are nowhere near that easy, and by the time I've gotten six others, I'm nearly out of breath, the pickax is somewhere on the ground, and my left arm has a nice cut from one of the whips. I sneak a peek at Kalin, and it doesn't look like he's faring much better. The last three goons I have to face decide to corner me against one of the cave walls.

"You wouldn't," I force out between breaths, "hurt an unarmed woman, now, would you?"

"Didn't start that way," one says.

Oh well. It was worth a shot.

"You attacked us first," another says.

The third simply holds up his gun, and I stare at it. _Man. If there could ever be some random intervention, now would be the time,_ I think.

_Thwack._ The guy with the stun gun pitches forward, and in his place stands one of the people in the blue workers' outfits, holding what seems to be a broken-off piece of the mine cart track.

"Thanks," I say. The other two goons fall as well, as other prisoners came to help. With them out of the way, I sink against the wall, trying to finally catch my breath.

"I should be thanking you," the man says. "I'll finally get out of here and see my kids, thanks to you and Kalin."

He offers me a hand and helps me up. "I'm Sergio, by the way."

"Sky," I reply. "Come on, we need to get out of here, before those guys' backup comes." I motion to Kalin to come on as well, and he walks over.

"Hey, I found some Duel Runners over there," Kalin says.

"Really?" That's another stroke of luck; the Duel Runners would be so much faster than the mine cart. They'd also be much more stable. The Runners seem to be a really basic version, and one of them has a passenger cart attached to it.

"Nico, West!" I call. "We've got much better rides over here!"

I expect them to come running, and they do. Just not at what I expected to happen. They run at Sergio. A second later, my mind makes the connection.

"Dad!" they shout. Then Nico and West kind of tackle Sergio to the ground, and the reunion makes me tear up. I wish I could see my parents again… But it's not possible.

"I hate to break this up, but we really need to go," I say to them. "Sergio, can you drive a Duel Runner?" He nods. "Then you take this Duel Runner, Nico and West can ride in the add-on. Kalin, just choose one and go."

Now we're able to continue our escape, and for once there isn't anyone chasing us. _With chainsaws,_ I think, and shiver. Were they absolutely necessary in the first place?

The tunnel continues until we reach a fork, where one part branches off to the left, and the other continues forward. "Which way should we go?" Sergio asks.

I don't know. Considering we were just trying to get away, we could just be going farther into the mines, and the left path is the one we should take. But I could just be overthinking this, and straight is indeed the right way.

That's when my I catch the sound of another Duel Runner and, if it makes any sense, I know it's Yusei's. The sound is coming from the left tunnel. I think back to my half-vision. If meeting up with Yusei is when this happens… "You guys keep going straight. I'm going left."

"Why?" Kalin asks.

"I-I have a feeling," I reply, not wanting to let him in on everything. I even try to stop any other conversations be speeding off down the left tunnel. It doesn't entirely work. Kalin follows me, but he doesn't say anything.

I frown. If what happened in my vision is supposed to happen soon, I didn't want Kalin to get caught in it. But… It's not like I can tell Kalin about it. Not now, anyways.

The tunnel opens to another, and I see the Duel in progress between Yusei and Lawton. It looks like it's almost over, Yusei's _Drill Warrior_ attacks with its special ability, but then Lawton plays some Trap called _Explosive Wall_. It would remove _Drill Warrior_ and all of Lawton's cards from play, and could possibly make Yusei lose.

"Mind if we cut in?" Kalin asks, and then rams into Lawton's giant Duel Runner. Lawton shouts in frustration as his Runner spins out of control and hits one of the walls of the tunnel before it rights itself.

"Kalin, Sky, you're alright!" Yusei says. "Where are Nico and West?"

"We split up. Their father's with them," Kalin answers.

_Good,_ I think. _At least I know they'll be safe._ I notice sunlight coming from just a bit farther down the tunnel. "Guys, the exit is right up ahead!"

"No one escapes this mountain!" Lawton shouts. He forces himself ahead of us and laughs. Evilly. "You know what, let me help you get out of here. At least this way, you'll go out with a bang."

That doesn't sound like it means any good. It doesn't, I realize, when Lawton throws something he had in his hand back towards us. It's a collection of dynamite. My eyes widen. _My vision is coming true._

The dynamite explodes.

**To be continued…**

Me: Yep! I'm going to leave you guys with a cliffhanger after I've been out for so long.

Crow: You are truly evil.

Me: Meh. Blame my secondary muse Rudolph.

*Tiny dog appears*

Rudolph: Arf! Arf!

Me: *Pets head* Good boy.

Sky: Wait, what do you mean secondary muse?

Me: Oh that… Yeah, I decided to start rewriting the first several chapters and so far I've finished chapters one and two, so I'll replace them as I'm putting up this chapter. Chapter one has the whole secondary muse thing covered. I'm pretty sure Crow was the only one there when I was rewriting it… Completely beside the point, yesterday was the last day of school! I'll have a lot more time to write!

Yusei: But yesterday was a Monday.

Me: *Shrugs* I don't know who had _that_ bright idea. Anyways, Rudolph didn't start helping until May 24th, so that's why I haven't been writing much. At all. I've also had pretty bad writers block.

Sky: Wow. Compared to your last hiatus, this explanation is nothing.

Me: I know… But so much has happened since February! I'm now obsessed with _NCIS, Psych, The Mentalist, Revenge, Castle, Criminal Minds, _and even though I've only seen the first episode, _Doctor Who._ I've also decided that I hate season finales, mostly _Revenge's_ and _Criminal Minds'_, but I'm simply going to place those rants on my profile. Oh, my band director, who has only been at my school for a year, is leaving, but I know the one who's replacing him, so I'm super happy! I also graduated from middle school.

Sky: That's quite a bit of stuff. Congrats about the middle school thing.

Me: Thanks! Oh, and I also decided to start rewriting the first several chapters, since I was in sixth grade when I wrote them. *Shivers* So far I've finished chapters one and two, so I'll replace them as I'm putting up this chapter. As always, review! They really make my day… Even though I've only really gotten one or two reviews per chapter…

Crow: Yes! They're listening to me!

Sky: Shut it Crow.


	41. Chapter 41: Vision

Me: Hi! I'm back and it hasn't been four months!

Yusei: You're even updating again in the same month.

Me: I know! This hasn't happened in sooooo long! I'm super happy about it!

Sky: You left us hanging, so why don't you start the chapter?

Me: Alright! I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds, but I do own my OCs. Also, the little bit of medical stuff I have involved is basically what I found from my friend Google, so it might not be accurate. Either way, enjoy!

Chapter 41

_Sky._

Colors. Everything around me is a mess of colors.

_Sky. Please answer me._

The blur vanishes, and for a second I see Yusei and Kalin looking down at me, both with pretty worried looks on their faces. I also think I see that they both have blood on their clothes, before the blur of colors returns. "What?" I hear both of them heave sighs of relief. "Is something wrong?"

_Of course something's wrong_, I mentally scold myself. _You can't even see straight. _"Never mind that, what happened?" My memory feels a bit fuzzy. The last thing I remember is having that Turbo Duel with Shoshan. And considering how hard whatever I'm lying on is, I'm not in a hospital.

"You mean you don't remember?" Kalin asks.

I shake my head, and wince. I think my brain finally registered that I should be in pain. It seriously feels like someone smashed my head against a brick wall several times.

"Don't try moving!" Yusei says urgently. "The way we landed, I bet you have a concussion."

_Landed?_ I sit up, much too fast, and clutch my head. Fractured memories of the past day, well, night, return to me. I remember the dynamite exploding and…

"Sky! I said you shouldn't move!" Yusei looks at me, anger and worry mixed in his expression.

The last image pops into my head. "Sorry Yusei but…" I gulp. I'm pretty sure I revealed one of my biggest secrets after the explosion, but I can't be sure. "Do you two know about the er…"

"Yeah," they answer.

_They know I have wings_. My head registers intense pain, and then the colors blur together again, until they slowly fade to black.

**XXX**

_Beep… Beep… Beep…_

I groan, feeling myself waking up, and hearing the constant beeps. It's kind of annoying. I don't even open my eyes yet, but I can feel that I'm in a bed, and the room smells extremely sterile.

I hear the door open, and I open my eyes a crack. Yusei comes in, but he's in a wheelchair and a hospital gown, and Shoshan is pushing the chair. "Hey guys," I say weakly. My voice sounds like I've been gargling rocks.

Their faces instantly light up. "Sky! You're awake!" Shoshan says happily. He quickly and carefully pushes Yusei the rest of the way to the bed I'm in.

I close my eyes—everything was getting blurry. "What happened to you, Yusei?" I ask, and then cough a few times.

I hear feet shuffle across the floor, water run for a couple seconds, and then more shuffling. "Here Sky, have some water," Shoshan says. I feel the rim press against my mouth, and I pretty much gulp down the water in it.

"Well, Yusei?" I ask once I finish the cup of water. My voice is still a bit scratchy, but not as bad as before. When I hear more movement, like someone was shifting their weight in a chair, I realize that Yusei was probably trying to dodge my question.

"The doctor said that you might injure yourself further if you get worked up," Yusei says after a period of silence.

"You're making me get worked up, worrying about what happened to my little brother, Yusei!" I retort, my voice accidentally raised to a screech from whatever made my throat extremely dry.

Another silent pause, and then Yusei says, "The landing broke three of my ribs. All on my left side."

I flail around under my hospital blanket as he tells me this. Maybe my reaction was only because of what I dreamed about, but still… "WHAT!?" I screech. If the broken ribs are on the left side, and something made them move, then one of them could have…

"Calm down! I'm in a better position than you are, Sky!" Yusei shouts over the rapid beeping that is now coming from the heart monitor.

When I hear the door slam open, I look for a brief second at who came in. A doctor, and one that I've known since I was younger, before Zero Reverse. "You two, out!" I hear her say in a threatening voice.

"But-" Shoshan starts to argue.

"Out!"

The beeping slows down, and I hear Yusei and Shoshan leave the room. "Humph, I told them they were only allowed in if they didn't aggravate you when you woke up," the doctor complains to me.

"No, it's my fault Dr. Izumi," I tell her, "I overreacted when Yusei told me about his broken ribs." It definitely wasn't necessary to screech like that. "So… What's wrong with me?"

I really want to know what's making my head hurt and my vision blurry. All I know is that my injury is bad enough to land me in a hospital and I strongly dislike hospitals.

"Well, you have a severe concussion," she starts. She pauses for a second, and I hear something metal slide along something else that's metal. "Do you mind opening your eyes? The last time you were awake, I couldn't run any of the normal tests."

_The last time…?_ "I've woken up before?"

"Oh yes, but we had you on some high level pain medications," Dr. Izumi replies. "You won't remember what happened, but let's just say, your friends have some pretty good blackmail material."

I feel my face go red, and I open my eyes like Dr. Izumi asked. She has one of those little light tools that a doctor uses to examine someone. "Don't be embarrassed," she says as she holds the light in front of my left eye, "I've seen people on lower level medications do much more embarrassing things than you did."

She moves the light over to my right eye, and I can't help but notice it seems darker than when it was over my left eye. "Are the batteries dying?" I ask. "The light is darker."

Dr. Izumi frowns and shakes her head. "No, I think it's a problem with your eye. Cover your left and look at me."

"Okay…" I cover my left eye, and the room seems normal. The walls are white, the floor is dark grey… And then I look at the doctor and I'm assaulted with a vivid green color. Her aura.

While I'm glad that this means at least one of my powers are back, I happened to uncover my left eye in shock of seeing Dr. Izumi's aura, and my left eye still sees normally. Basically, it means I'm getting two different images at the same time, one in normal colors, and another with the green and it overwhelms me and my already injured head.

I close both of my eyes, flinch back, and try to stop myself from throwing up.

**XXX**

It takes about twenty minutes, a garbage can, and me throwing up three times in order to calm myself down enough to tell the doctor what happened. She isn't exactly surprised at what happened, and this surprises me.

Sensing my shock, she says, "You know that I used to be a close friend of your parents, and that I was the one who secretly ran your yearly checkups. It's natural that I know about what your family is capable of."

"Yeah… I guess." I say.

"Still, this is an interesting turn of events," Dr. Izumi comments. "You say that you see everything normal with your left eye, and these… auras… with your right, and that this isn't normal."

I nod. "Also, my powers have been sealed for the past two weeks. I'm not the one who turned the aura-vision thing on."

"Interesting." She puts down her tool. "Well, that's not something that you can keep a secret."

"Actually, I can just blame it on the concussion," I say, "since the two images at the same time simply caused my head to hurt and, well, throw up. You could just prescribe me some pain medicine."

"Mmm. That could work."

**XXX**

One week later, on strict rules of no Dueling, no working on Duel Runners, and a ton of other things (basically all we could do was eat, sleep, walk, and go to the bathroom), Yusei and I were let out of the hospital. By now, I've gotten used to the double-image (or at least I don't throw up every time I look at someone). Yusei also hasn't brought up the 'I have wings' thing yet, and Kalin, well, Kalin is in Crash Town and I haven't heard from him. Yet.

Yusei and I managed to keep to the strict rules, until we just had to take Bruno in to meet with Mina and Trudge…

Okay, so only Yusei had to go with Bruno to meet them, but since the incident at the mines, I've tried to stay near Yusei. What I'd dreamt about while I was unconscious between Crash Town and the hospital, well, it pretty much scared me.

We're in Sector Security headquarters, and Mina and Trudge seem a little bit down. Bruno tells them he still hasn't regained any bit of his memory, and Mina says they ran his prints and face in their super mainframe, and didn't get any matches.

It's pretty much one of the shortest and probably pointless meetings I've been to. "Come on then, we're leaving," I say, and stand up to leave. Yusei and Bruno follow me.

"We'll keep looking," Trudge calls after us, just as the elevator door closes.

Bruno sighs, and I give him a gentle pat on the back. "We'll find out who you really are eventually, Bruno," I say.

"I know," he says, and stares out the back glass of the elevator, giving him a decent view of the City. "I just… It feels like someone out there is looking for me. You know?"

"I don't," Yusei says, "But maybe we'll find that person, and he or she will be able to identify you."

Suddenly the lights flicker, and the elevator shudders, and comes to a stop. A voice drones through the speakers, "Code Red! Code Red! Please evacuate immediately!"

The elevator doors are shut, though, and don't seem like they'll budge. When my chest starts burning, I realize I've been holding my breath, and inhale deeply. "You guys okay?"

"Fine," Bruno answers.

"Same here," Yusei says.

Good. "We need to get out of here," I say. "Bruno, see if you can use one of your screwdrivers and force the door to open." This is when I notice that Yusei already has out a screwdriver and is working on the lock. "Yusei."

"What?"

"Hand it over." I extend a hand. Messing with an electronic lock was, strangely, on the list of restrictions that Dr. Izumi told us.

"But I've almost got it…" he says, just as the lock clicks and the door opens.

I scowl at my brother. "I'll give you this time."

We exit the elevator and find the place in near darkness, but Yusei and I both spot two people running in a direction. I assume Yusei recognizes them as he says, "We need to follow them."

I see no reason to argue with him, but Bruno says, "But we need to get out of here… Oh all right." Yusei and I already started following the two as Bruno started arguing, and I guess he decided to follow us.

We catch up to the two people in a room filled with computers. One man, he looks strong, like a bodyguard, and one woman, blonde hair and piercing green eyes. I close my left eye for a second to see their auras. Both are coated with red, so I can't see what their true colors are, but since their auras are red, the two must be angry. At what, however, I don't know.

"Yusei," the woman says. I note that she has a clear French accent. "And it seems you have friends." She pauses and adds, "Does meeting me here mean you've changed your mind and want to join my team?"

Before I can ask what that means, Yusei replies, "No Sherry. Besides, we need to get out of here. This place is dangerous."

Sherry laughs. "Actually it isn't. We're the ones that rigged the blast for effect."

"So you're the ones behind this?" I ask. Maybe Yusei knows this woman, but I don't, so I wouldn't know what she is capable of.

"Why?" Yusei adds.

"That is none of your business," Sherry replies. She turns to one of the exits and waves her hand. "_Au revoir_."

The man I assume to be her bodyguard stands between us and the retreating Sherry. The hallway she went down also has a covering that is slowly dropping.

Maybe Yusei and I won't make it through in time, but I can bet that I can help Bruno get past this man and into that hallway. "Bruno, run!" I shout. At the same time, I completely ignore Dr. Izumi's rules and grab hold of one of the bodyguard's hands and shove.

The man fights back, easily throwing me off and into a corner where I stay down, dazed a bit from the landing, but Bruno does get past the man and into the hallway before it closes. "Bruno, stop Sherry!" Yusei calls after him.

"You can count on me," comes his answer.

I hear the man laugh and roll over to where I can see Yusei. "No you can't," the man says, "he's no match for Sherry. But you are." I realize he's talking directly to Yusei. "And that's why I cannot allow you to pass."

By the time I'm on my feet and have shaken off the bout of dizziness that came over me, a Duel has already started and I can't stop it or interfere. The man also reveals his name, Elsworth.

I clench my fist, since I have to sit this one out, and so should Yusei, but he's already in the Duel. "Be careful Yusei," I say.

**Elsworth's Life Points: 4000, Yusei's Life Points: 4000**

"I'll start," Elsworth says and draws his card. He looks at his hand for a few seconds and then says, "I Summon _Spirit Summit Warrior_ in Attack Mode. Now, since this was a Normal Summon, I am allowed to Special Summon a level 3 or lower monster like _Liberated Rear Warrior_ from my hand."

**Spirit Summit Warrior ATK: 1200, DEF: 1600, Level 4; Liberated Rear Warrior ATK: 0, DEF: 0, Level 3**

I only catch a glimpse of the two armor-clad monsters before _Liberated Rear Warrior_ turns into the green rings of a Synchro Summon, and a flash of light brings a new monster to the field. "Synchro Summon! Rise and conquer, _Driven Daredevil!"_

**Driven Daredevil ATK: 2400, DEF: 2100, Level 7**

The new warrior has on less armor than the other two, but has a sword in each hand and another on his back. The swords glimmer eerily in the dim room.

"With that, I end my turn with two face-downs," Elsworth finishes.

"My draw," Yusei says. He nods on seeing the card. "First I'll send my _Quillbolt Hedgehog_ to the Graveyard in order to Special Summon _Quickdraw Synchron._ Now, since there's a Tuner on my field, _Quillbolt Hedgehog_ returns to my field."

**Quickdraw Synchron ATK: 700, DEF: 1400, Level 5; Quillbolt Hedgehog ATK: 800, DEF: 800, Level 2**

Hmm. Seems like a good set-up for _Junk Archer_ or _Nitro Warrior._ Knowing my brother, he's going to go for _Nitro Warrior._

"I'm Tuning my Level 5 _Quickdraw Synchron_ with my Level 2 _Quillbolt Hedgehog," _Yusei continues. "I Synchro Summon _Nitro Warrior_!"

**Nitro Warrior ATK: 2800, DEF: 1800, Level 7**

"_Nitro Warrior_, attack _Driven Daredevil_ with _Dynamite Crunch_," Yusei declares. His green monster surrounds itself with a giant, glowing green fist and rams into _Driven Daredevil_.

**Elsworth's Life Points: 3600**

"I play _Driven Daredevil's _ability, _Determined Will_," Elsworth says. His _Daredevil_ uncrosses the two swords he had been using to defend himself from _Nitro Warrior's_ attack. The swords glow, and _Driven Daredevil _launches a counterattack.

I narrow my eyes. _I wonder what this effect is,_ I think. Since _Daredevil_ was supposed to be destroyed but instead, _Nitro Warrior_ shatters from the counter attack, it must be a pretty good effect.

"I'm also activating my Continuous Trap _Master and Servant's Resolve._ As long as it is on the field, when a monster is destroyed due to another monster's effect, the destroyed monster's Attack Points are dealt to you as damage," Elsworth continues.

The Trap shoots out a sword surrounded in light, and it strikes Yusei square in the gut. _Thank goodness Elsworth isn't a Psychic Duelist,_ I think, _and that this is in no way a Shadow Duel. _

**Yusei's Life Points: 1200**

"A downside to this card is that I must pay 1000 Life Points every turn," Elsworth states.

"Hmm." Yusei looks at his hand again. "I'll Summon _Tricular_ in Defense Mode and end my turn with a face-down."

**Tricular ATK: 300, DEF: 300, Level 3**

The monster looks exactly like a blue tricycle. I mean, other than the fact that it has arms instead of handlebars. And it has a face.

"My draw then," Elsworth says. His Trap shoots out a light-covered sword at himself, as to keep the card on the field.

**Elsworth's Life Points: 2600**

"_Driven Daredevil_ will attack _Tricular_," Elsworth declares.

_Tricular _didn't stand a chance, but the pieces it shatters into reform into a different but similar monster. "Because you did," Yusei says, "and _Tricular_ was destroyed, I can Special Summon _Bicular_ from my Deck."

**Bicular ATK: 200, DEF: 200, Level 2**

Elsworth's face-down flips up. "I activate my Trap _Reversal Sword_. Since one of your monsters was destroyed in battle, this Trap destroys one with a lower level than it and inflicts damage equal to the weaker monster's Attack Points to both of us."

The Trap sends out a sword that shatters _Bicular._ Fragments from the monster strike both Yusei and Elsworth.

**Elsworth's Life Points: 2400, Yusei's Life Points: 1000**

"I end my turn with a face-down."

Before Yusei draws, a video hologram shows up next to the Duel in progress. It's of Trudge ordering a bunch of guys to head to the mainframe. I'm guessing that the mainframe is where Sherry is.

"Not good," Elsworth says, and he pulls out a phone. "Sector Security is in… Have you found what you're looking for? …But Sherry …Very well." He hangs up the phone and returns it to his pocket.

"I'm guessing that means the Duel goes on," Yusei says. "But why? Sector Security will be here any second, and they'll arrest you."

"It doesn't matter what happens to me," Elsworth says, "Sherry _must_ find the answers about that card, no matter what the cost might be."

So this whole thing has been about a card? It must be pretty important to rig a bomb at Sector Security in order to find the answers… "What card?" I ask.

Elsworth looks at me for a brief second. "The card that's determined the course of her life." He explains about how Sherry wants revenge on Yliaster after their orders to get 'that card' resulted in her parents being murdered.

I look down. Yliaster is partially responsible for Zero Reverse and, as such, my own parents' deaths. I guess I understand what Sherry is going through, but I know revenge isn't everything. When I defeated Roman, my parents didn't come back.

"It's my turn!" Yusei says, continuing the Duel. I see him falter—just for a second—as he draws his card.

"Yusei! Don't push yourself too much!" I say.

"Don't worry," he replies, "it's almost over anyways." He adds the card to his hand. "I Summon _Debris Dragon_!"

**Debris Dragon ATK: 1000, DEF: 2000, Level 4**

A small, blue-green dragon with orange shoulder and chest pads appears next to Yusei. Actually, the dragon faintly reminds me of _Stardust Dragon_.

"Now, due to _Debris Dragon's_ ability, I can bring back a monster with 500 or less Attack Points. Welcome back, Tricular!" Yusei says. The tricycle-like monster returns. "Not only that," Yusei continues, "but on the turn I successfully Summon a monster, I can Summon _Turbo Booster _as well!"

**Turbo Booster ATK: 0, DEF: 0, Level 1**

This monster is yellow, and instead of hands it has two things that look like vents at the end. Its base can't help but remind me of a top.

"Level 4 _Debris Dragon_, Tune with my Level 1 _Turbo Booster_ and Level 3 _Tricular_! _Clustering wishes will become a new shining star! Become the path its light shines upon!_ Synchro Summon! Take flight, _Stardust Dragon!_"

**Stardust Dragon ATK: 2500, DEF: 2000, Level 8**

My brother's signature dragon appears, and I smile. _Driven Daredevil_ will be doomed if he tries to activate his ability. And then, Elsworth's own Trap card will make him lose the Duel. Then again, Elsworth's face-down could halt _Stardust's_ ability, and then Yusei would lose…

"It's a risk worth taking! Go, _Stardust Dragon_! Attack with _Cosmic Flare_!"

_Stardust Dragon_ shoots out his attack, a silverish beam of light, directly at _Driven Daredevil_.

"I activate the Trap _Standoff,_" Elsworth says, his card flipping up. _Driven Daredevil _holds his ground against the attack. "_Driven Daredevil's_ ability activates!"

"No it doesn't," Yusei counters, "_Stardust Dragon_ will negate and destroy _Driven Daredevil_ once I release him."

_Stardust Dragon _starts to glow, but the glow fades. "Due to _Standoff_," Elsworth explains, "you can't release _Stardust Dragon._"

_Driven Daredevil_ starts his counterattack, but then _Stardust Dragon_ suddenly disappears. "I activate my Trap _Space Jump!_ By removing _Stardust_ from play, you take damage equal to his Attack Points."

**Elsworth's Life Points: 0. Winner: Yusei**

The door behind Elsworth opens and he steps aside. "You've earned your passage. But tell her I'm sorry."

"For what? We're both after the same thing—we want to help Sherry," Yusei says.

I guess I agree with Yusei, so I add, "Come on, why don't we go together?"

Elsworth nods, and we run down the hallway. Yeah, running. Dr. Izumi is probably going to pitch a fit later. As soon as we reach the end, the room seems to be filled with sparks and a really strong wind.

"Bruno! Sherry!" Yusei calls and he runs farther into the room.

"Yusei!" I shout, just as everything turns white.

**XXX**

I sit up, stiff, and my head in pain. "I think I've had enough of explosions," I mutter. Yusei helps me up.

"Same here," he says.

I look around. "Where are…?"

"Gone."

"And how did we…?"

"I don't know."

Sherry and Elsworth are nowhere to be seen, and I have a good view of Neo Domino City from a distance, meaning that somehow, we're in Satellite.

"What I want to know is how we got out of that room, away from that creature," Yusei says.

"I think we should be glad we _did_ get out," Bruno says.

We turn and look at the City. _I guess all we have now are more questions,_ I think,_ and they'd better be answered soon._

**To be continued…**

Me: That's it! Oh yeah, so many mini plot twists… And I even revealed Sky's big secret!

Sky: *Shrugs* Hey, what exactly _did_ you have me dream about?

Me: Oh, I'm going to write another fanfiction on it. *Sighs* I just love watching _NCIS_.

Sky: *Confused* What does that have anything to do with it?

Me: Oh, everything. *Blissful look disappears* Back to more serious topics, I must start by saying I will be off at camp and then directly to visit family from there, so I won't update again until July.

Crow: Good! We need longer breaks from your evil muses.

Rudolph: *Appears on Crow's head* Arf!

Crow: Get off of my head! *Flings Rudolph off*

Me: Hey! Leave Rudolph alone!

Crow: It was on my head!

Me: _He_ can do whatever I want him to, so hah!

Crow: *Sulks, then walks away*

Sky: I thought you got a restraining order on him.

Me: Turns out I forgot to add his last name, so basically, I have a restraining order against the birds. Messed up, I know.

Sky: You've lost your marbles.

Me: I don't think I ever had marbles to begin with.

Jack: *From another room* I second that statement!

Me: *Grins* Anyways, I'm going to end this with saying thanks to all of the people who read, review, follow, and favorite this story. I just wish I could get more reviews per chapter…

(PS: If you can guess what specific episode of _NCIS_ I was talking about a couple lines ago, please tell me in a PM! I'll figure out how to send you a cookie as a reward!)


	42. Chapter 42: Birthday Surprises

Me: Hi! I'm back from vacation!

Yusei: How was camp?

Me: Awesome! I even went white water rafting for the first time. I ended up soaked in water that was like, 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Crow: You fell out and I missed it!?

Me: No, I was just in the front left of the raft, so every single time we hit a rapid with my side in front, I got soaked. But, I did fall _into_ the raft.

Sky: How?

Me: I slipped off of the edge and into the raft while we were going down the Nantahala Falls, directly after the water stole my paddle.

Crow: *Laughs*

Me: *Paddle used in the white water rafting randomly appears in hands* I will whack you with this.

Crow: You don't scare me.

Me: *Swings paddle, hits Crow and knocks him unconscious* Well, he'll leave me alone now. Anywho, before I get really sidetracked, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds or Reshiram, but I do own my OCs. Enjoy chapter 42!

Chapter 42

_Thud_. "Gyah!"

I open my eyes and find that I rolled out of my bed and onto the floor. Normally, that would be okay. But with my concussion that may or may not be cleared today, and the WRGP in less than two weeks, I'd rather not accidentally injure myself. More specifically today, since it's also my birthday.

"That's an interesting way to get out of bed," someone comments.

"Shut it Crow," I mutter. "Don't annoy me on my birthday." I get off of the floor, and see that my ginger-haired friend is leaning against my doorframe. He's also wearing a brown Racing Suit that I don't recognize. "Why were you watching me?"

Crow rolls his eyes. "We're setting something up downstairs, and I was the one assigned to make sure you don't go down before they finish."

"Okay," I say. That answers one question. "Where did you get that Racing Suit?"

He pauses for a second, confused that I don't know this, I think, and then he says, "Oh right, you were asleep by the time we came home yesterday. Well, long story short, yesterday I caught a murderer." Here, I see the color of his aura waver to blue for a second, whoever this murderer was must have some backstory with Crow, but I don't push deeper into it. He continues, "I got my Signer Dragon, and the company of which the murderer was the leader of was grateful that he was caught or something, and gave our Runners this free upgrade."

"What does the suit have anything to do with that?"

"Um," Crow says and rubs the back of his head, "we were kind of saving up money to buy the upgrade and since we got it for free, we decided to use the money to upgrade our wardrobes."

_We…?_ "Who else got new clothes?" I ask.

"Just Yusei and Jack." Crow then scowls and adds, "And even though his new outfit is very similar to his old one, Jack complained about it."

"And this surprises you?" I ask, expecting Crow to get angry. Of course it doesn't surprise him. It doesn't surprise me either.

"Of course not!"

I smile and wave my hand at him like I'm trying to get him to go away. "Just messing with you," I say, "now why don't you stand guard outside of my room? I need to change."

"Whatever you say."

I close my door behind him and sigh. The last time I celebrated my birthday was four years ago, shortly before I faked my death and fled from Satellite. Getting a pat on the back from Sydney as a present doesn't really count, so I'm a little bit nervous as to what my friends will cook up. I haven't even said anything about what I wanted.

Shaking my head, I quickly tie my jacket. I can't wait to see what my friends have in store for me.

**XXX**

"Happy Birthday, Sky!"

The moment I set foot downstairs, I'm bombarded by the voices of my friends, the smell of pancakes, and confetti. Seriously, someone had stuffed a ton of it in a bucket and rigged it to pour down when I came downstairs. But I'll let that slide. All of my friends—even Kalin, Nico, West, Sergio had come from Crash Town, and Martha had come from Satellite—are here, most of them wearing party hats. At least all of them are smiling, though.

"Thanks guys," I grin. "Is that pancakes I smell?"

"Better than that," Yusei's eyes (and his aura) flicker with joy, "they're Martha's chocolate chip pancakes."

My stomach rumbles at the thought of them. I haven't had chocolate chip pancakes, much less _Martha's_ pancakes since Yusei's thirteenth birthday. "Awesome." I turn to Martha, who still has the batter-covered spatula in her hand. "Thanks for coming all this way to make breakfast for me, Martha."

"Hey! She made them for all of us!" Jack huffs at me.

"Yeah, yeah," I say. "Why don't we eat?"

**XXX**

Breakfast was mostly filled with West trying to catch me up on everything that's happened in Crash Town—excuse me, Satisfaction Town—since I left, a bunch of comments about how good the pancakes were—mostly from Leo and Escolar, and a brief moment of Akiza flipping out when she finds that I ate twelve pancakes.

"How can you possibly have eaten that many?"

"Umm," I pause and think about my answer. "Well, for one, they're the best pancakes ever, and two, I might have skipped dinner last night." Yesterday, while trying to figure out the best combos I could play if I go after Shoshan or Sydney in the WRGP, I had a brief and painful flare up of a migraine. I ended up going home and fell asleep pretty much right after—I doubt it was even 5 o'clock by then.

A muffled sound comes from Kalin before he swallows the pancake he had stuffed in his mouth. "That's gotta be a first," he says. "I mean, I know you've skipped lunch because you somehow forgot about it, but you never skip dinner."

"Yeah."

After that, Martha had to leave because she had to go back to the orphanage, and Leo, Luna, and Akiza still had Duel Academy to go to. I had to promise Leo I would wait until after they get out of school to open my presents. Like I would do that. Besides, my whole morning consists of going to the hospital with Yusei in order to see if our injuries have healed enough for us to partake in the WRGP.

It isn't until after noon that I get in to see Dr. Izumi. She had made it clear that she was the one that had to clear me and Yusei of our injuries, and she ended up busy with other patients until eleven thirty, when she checked Yusei first. I wasn't worried at all for Yusei's injury to be cleared, so I give him a half smile when he comes out and gives me two thumbs up.

But when Dr. Izumi shows me to the examining room, I can't help but be fidgety. "Calm down, Sky," she tells me, "I'm sure you're alright, just like your brother."

"Sorry, it's just…"

"I know."

**XXX**

Twenty minutes later and she says, "Congratulations, Sky. Your concussion has healed enough for you to be able to partake in the tournament."

"Yes!" I jump up and hug Dr. Izumi pretty hard for a few seconds.

"Okay," Dr. Izumi says, "you still need to be careful. Although, has there been any development on the, ah, aura-seeing eye?"

"Other than the fact that I can look at someone and not throw up and/or have an excruciating headache, no," I reply. Even though I've tried, I still can't turn off the power, or turn it on for the other eye so that I could at least have one image instead of two at a time.

"What about your other abilities?"

"I can see Duel Spirits again," I say happily. I was so happy when I was able to talk to them again that I almost jumped for joy, but with the concussion and the fact that, at the time, it was the middle of the night and I'm sure that the guys wouldn't have liked the fact that I woke them up because of it, I didn't. "That's it."

A frown crosses her face for a second, and then vanishes. "Well, it's at least progress. I'm done here," Dr. Izumi says. "You can leave. And I wish you a very Happy Birthday. I'm sorry half of it was wasted sitting in the waiting room."

"It's fine," I dismiss her apology, "I haven't even celebrated my birthday in a few years, so that's nothing. Have a good day."

**XXX**

Back at the apartment, the twins and Akiza have returned from school, and we pass on our happy news of being able to be in the tournament before I'm ordered to sit on the couch so that I can open my presents. I see Leo pick up a small one from a table that is otherwise empty. He examines it and puts it down, obviously pleased that I hadn't tried opening it before he got back.

"Sky, you're only getting two presents this year, but they're from everybody and we know you'll love them," Yusei explains after he notices my 'why is there only one' look. When he says that I'm getting two presents, it adds slightly to my confusion, but I don't let it show.

He hands me the small one that Leo had just examined. The wrapping paper isn't much, it only has gold and white interchanging stripes, and for a second I miss the homemade wrapping paper from Satellite, but my nostalgia fades when I tear off the paper.

A Deck Box. I would think they'd get me something else—I have a Deck Box already, like every self-respecting Duelist—and then I decide to open the Deck Box, and a single card falls out. It's a Synchro Monster, a new addition to my other Synchros as _Celestial Dragon-Chaos_.

No wonder I'm not getting many presents. It must have cost a fortune to get this card. I know it wasn't in the original release of the Celestial cards (of course, neither were _Celestial Dragon-Quasar _or _Celestial Knight-Star_), which means that my friends had to have the card commissioned, and that's really costly.

"Well?"

I look up from the card to see all of my friends faces. They're looking expectantly at me. "I… I think this will make a good addition to my Deck," I say. _Celestial Dragon-Chaos_ seems to be a more powerful Synchro—its Level 9 and I see its Attack Points are 3400 and its Defense Points are 2600. _Chaos_ definitely won't go down without a fight.

"So you like it?" Crow asks. "It was my idea."

"No it wasn't, it was Luna's," Jack says, smacking Crow on the back of the head.

"Hey!" The ginger, now angry, curls his fists and turns to Jack.

"Jack, Crow, you can fight later," Yusei says, "Right now it's time for Sky to open her last present." His comment seems to have stopped the would-be fight, and I'm glad. It would be just like them to do something like that on my birthday, and I was hoping that they wouldn't.

"So, what's the next one?" I ask. The new card was a nice touch, and I can't imagine anything topping it. Of course, this is from my friends, who are totally unpredictable, and I end up just as surprised when Yusei unveils my last present.

It's literally an unveiling—Yusei pulls off a sheet from what I though was his or Jack's Duel Runner, and I'm utterly shocked when it's a completely different one than what I've ever seen before. Wait, it actually looks kind of like a cross between the _Blackbird_ and the _Yusei Go_. I mean, the frame, minus the wings, is a lot like the _Blackbird_, and the seat curves up like the _Yusei Go_, but the design is what throws me off.

Like my current Duel Runner, this one has a gold-colored base coat, but that's where the similarities stop. This new Runner has color streaks in what first looks like a messed-up rainbow decided to have fun, and then I realize that the colors are there in order of the color of my Celestial Knights' armor.

My already large smile gets even bigger. "You guys made it, didn't you?"

"It took a while, especially since we had to keep it a secret," Shoshan says, "but yeah, we made it. When you were stuck here, your friends came over to our garage, and that's how a lot of the work was done."

"Thanks," I say. I hadn't expected to get a new Duel Runner, or even a new card. "You guys are awesome. This has got to be the best birthday ever!"

Everyone laughs.

**XXX**

It's about ten o'clock now, and I'm stargazing on the roof of the apartment. I love how this day has gone so far. I mean, getting a card like _Celestial Dragon-Chaos_ would have been more than enough, but my friends even went on to build me a Duel Runner.

"I thought we'd find you up here."

I turn around and see that Yusei and Kalin are both on the roof with me. Kalin being here surprises me. "I thought you were already on your way back to Satisfaction Town, Kalin." Two hours ago, I'd said goodbye to Sergio, Nico, West, and Kalin, while promising to Duel West the next time I saw him.

"Yeah, well," Kalin says. He looks away and then faces me again. "I really want to talk about what we saw in the ravine."

"Oh." This was one conversation I was trying to put off. I mean, I don't know all of the answers myself, so how am I supposed to answer them? That's when my head feels… I think the best way to describe it is… empty, and I hear an all-too-familiar voice I've wanted to hear for months now.

'_Little one, I can help in your explanations to your brother and your friend'_, Reshiram says.

"Reshiram!" I blurt out, and from the strange looks I get from my friends, I add, "Just give me a second, and I'll explain everything." I shake my head. Reshiram had been the only Duel Spirit I still wasn't able to talk to after that part of my abilities came back earlier this month. _'Reshiram, it's been far too long since I've heard from you.'_

'_It has.'_

'_Now, about that help, what do you need me to do?'_

'_Play the Spell Card _Swing of Memories_.'_

'_But my powers haven't come back yet.'_ If she expects me to use the _Swing of Memories_ to be a portal to show the memory, or whatever she was going to do to help, I can't.

'_You doubt in yourself too much, little one. Tell your friends that I will show them exactly what happened nearly twenty seven years ago that made me come to you.'_

'_Okay.'_ I take a deep breath. "So, about the whole 'I have wings' deal… I've had them for as long as I can remember. All my parents said was that this dragon needed my help, and she—that is, the dragon—now resides in me. That's why I have wings."

"Resides in you?" Yusei asks. He rolls down his glove and shows off the Head Birthmark. "Just like the Crimson Dragon, right?"

"More or less. Although, I can communicate with my dragon on a regular basis. I've been able to since…" I pause and think back to when I first heard Reshiram. "Since I was released from the Facility." I let the information sink into their minds, and add, "Reshiram is willing to show us exactly what happened when she came to me."

"Really?" Kalin asks.

"Yeah." And I play _Swing of Memories._ With a flash of light, our surroundings are no longer the roof of our apartment and a view of the night sky.

**XXX**

**Third Person**

_A hospital room houses two very worried people. The brunette woman's golden eyes are filled with worry, but she is stuck is the hospital bed and cannot pace around like her husband, a man with black hair that seemingly defies gravity and dark blue eyes, is currently doing._

"_Ryuu," the woman says, "You need to calm down. Sky might only be a few days old, but she's a Fudo and she won't let some poison keep her down."_

_Ryuu Fudo stops pacing the room. "I can't, Ayame. I was the one who went after that man. If Sky," he pauses and swallows, "if she doesn't make it, it will be my fault."_

_Ayame's gold eyes flash with anger. "It won't be your fault, Ryuu. It's that masked man that clearly didn't want to leave any loose ends' fault." She realizes that she's speaking like her daughter has already died, and amends her statement. "No, it _will_ be that man's fault."_

_At that moment a blonde-haired doctor walks in. She has the same eye color as Ayame. The doctor is also carrying a baby—Sky—and she has a very sad look on her face. "I'm sorry, there's absolutely nothing we can do to save her. The poison seems to be rejecting all antidotes thrown at it. Normal or…otherwise."_

_Ayame bolts upright in bed. "No, Izumi! There has to… there has to be some way to change this!"_

_The doctor shakes her head. "I'm sorry, oneechan. I really am." She holds out the infant, who is awake but whimpering in pain. "I'll… give you some time alone." She leaves once Ayame takes Sky away from her._

"_No." Ryuu says, his hands curling into fists as he watches his wife try to calm their daughter down. "I absolutely refuse for this to be the end for her."_

'_**And the end it will not be',**__ a voice echoes in the room._

"_Who said that?" Ryuu demands, eyes darting around the room while he stands protectively over Ayame and Sky._

_A small light appears at the end of the bed. The light shifts and grows larger, morphing into the shape of a dragon. __**'I can save your daughter, Dr. Ryuu Fudo.'**_

"_Yes! Yes! Save her!" Ayame shouts._

"_Hold on," Ryuu says. "There must be some kind of catch. And… how do we know you aren't some force of evil?"_

_A short chuckle comes from the light-dragon. __**'All I need is a vessel to help me defeat a true force of evil when the time comes. Your daughter can have a bright future, if only you let me. There might also be a few changes in your daughter as well, but I assure you that I do not want to harm her. I believe that answers both of your questions.'**_

"_I…" Ryuu says. He closes his eyes. "Please, save our daughter."_

'_**Thank you.'**_

_The light-dragon morphs back into the ball of light, and floats over the infant Sky. Sky opens her eyes and grabs at the light, emitting a squeal of joy that her parents thought they would never hear again. The room fills with light for two seconds. Sky blinks, oblivious to what just happened._

_Her parents, though, they're ecstatic over what just happened. Their little girl is safe. But the changes that the light-dragon spoke of are already in effect. While small, it appears that Sky has wings, and that her left eye has turned blue, rather than the pure golden she had inherited from her mother, and what her right eye is still colored._

**XXX**

**Sky's POV**

The scene vanishes and I forcefully land on the ground. I feel exhausted now, like showing that scene had taken a lot of my energy away, but I find the energy to stand. I watch Yusei and Kalin both get up off the ground.

"That was, uh, intense," Kalin says after a really awkward period of silence.

"I had no idea it was going to be like that," I say. _And for that matter,_ I add in my head, _I had no idea that Dr. Izumi is actually my aunt, and that I've been calling her by her first name._ I mean, she called my mom her big sister, and their eye color is exactly the same. I don't really believe in coincidences, so…

'_You are correct, that Dr. Izumi is your aunt,' _Reshiram says.

Now my stomach feels like it's trying to learn how to salsa dance, and I really don't feel like continuing this conversation. "Look, I'm starting to not feel good. You two got your answers and I swear I don't know anything else, so are we cool?"

I look expectantly at both of them, and Kalin shrugs. "I guess."

Yusei just stares ahead, like he's oblivious to everything else. He gets this way when deep in thought, and it's times like these that I wish our old mind link hadn't been severed when I faked my death. I really wonder what he's thinking about. Then just like that, Yusei looks back at me and says, "Yeah. We're cool."

If I didn't feel so bad, I'd ask him what's going on. But because of that, I just say, "Thanks guys. Kalin, I'll see you… sometime… and Yusei, I'll see you tomorrow." And with that, I leave the rooftop, still thinking that, while that scene Reshiram showed me was really nerve-wracking, today still has to be the best birthday ever.

**To be continued…**

Me: That's where Rudolph wants to stop.

Sky: Why am I not surprised that you fill in more twisted backstory? And on my birthday?

Me: Because you read the chapter already. And, I had that flashback, or at least the idea for it, written down _ages_ ago.

Sky: True.

Crow: Why'd you have Jack hit me?

Me: Because. Just because.

Crow: *Shakes head* I don't see why I put up with you.

Me: Then don't. I mean, you've tried to kill me before.

Crow: *Evil glint in his eyes* Maybe I'll try again.

Me: I still have my paddle. *Paddle randomly breaks* Oh. *Runs out of the door with Crow in pursuit* Somebody help me!

(Oh, and the _Celestial Dragon-Chaos_ card is going to have a different Attribute, Effect, and appearance depending on if _Celestial Dragon-Sol_ or _Celestial Dragon-Moon_ were used as Synchro Material. That's all I'm going to say on it until I have Sky actually use it. Also, I hope I used the correct Japanese wording in that one part.)


	43. Chapter 43: Prelims, Round One

Me: *Beats head repeatedly against a wall*

Yusei: Something wrong?

Me: Lots of somethings. The last chapter for this story only got one review, and it kind of hurt my muse, because reviews are what help Rudolph come up with ideas. Also, the majority of the Japanese openings and endings for 5Ds are stuck in my head, but because they're in Japanese and the people sing so fast, it's just random gibberish words along to the melody, which is overly annoying. Lastly, I'll be at band camp starting tomorrow, so I'll basically only have the weekends to do much of any writing.

Sky: So updates will basically be back to what happens while you're in school.

Me: Yeah. *Shakes head* I'll just get started on the chapter now. I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's or Pokémon, but I do own my OCs. As for the prelims, I'm purposely only writing the parts where Sky's Dueling, because I want to get this story finished and if I didn't, this story will go on forever. Anywho, enjoy!

Chapter 43

"Try to keep up, guys!" I call. Our practice run is almost over, and I want to see exactly how fast my new Duel Runner will go. So far, without even really trying, I've stayed ahead of Sydney and Shoshan. Now, I want to see exactly how well my friends built it. I want to see if it's able to go the speed for the Accel Synchro, without Reshiram's help.

"That a challenge, Fudo?" Sydney calls back. My friend speeds up, her black, wolf-like Duel Runner passing me.

"Count me in!" Shoshan and his blue Runner that isn't a hybrid like mine and Sydney's catches up to the two of us.

I laugh and press the gas harder, my Runner flying past my friends. Remembering how fast I had to go the last (well, only) time I pulled off the Accel Synchro, I grin. I'm definitely going fast enough for that. A loud blast from a horn makes me look up. Our time is over.

Tch. I don't want to get off. Of course, I don't want to do what Crow did earlier today, and accidentally crash into the next team, so I reluctantly leave the track. Once we stop, Shoshan says, "Hey Sky, if you keep up that speed, you might be the only one that has to Duel."

"You'd better give us a chance," Sydney agrees.

I put up my hands in mock defense, "I'm not going to be the first one going every time we Duel. You'll have a chance to win." Once my teammates smile, I add, "Let's go now; we still have to work on our combined strategies."

**XXX**

At our hideout (or at least that's what Sydney calls it), we're sitting down, trying to work out a good strategy if Shoshan loses and has to pass it off to Sydney. So far, it's not working too well. Sydney is being insufferable, and apparently thinks there's no possible way for her to make a play off of Shoshan's cards.

"Sydney, you do realize that there's a Continuous Trap called _DNA Surgery _that will turn any monster into Beast-Type as long as it's on the field," I say. Sydney's Deck is almost entirely based on Beast-Type Monsters, but more specifically, this one Archetype called 'Fang'. All of those cards are based on wolves.

"Yeah, but what are the odds that I draw it on the first turn?" Sydney retorts. I can see her aura flare with red, and it's never a good idea to be around Sydney when she's angry.

"Look, I have quite a few monsters that can't be destroyed in battle," Shoshan says. "At the very least, if they're still on the field, you can use them to Tribute Summon some of your stronger cards."

"But…" Sydney pauses, her aura reverting back to its normal color. She's not in a murderous mood anymore. "You have a point."

"Thank you!" I say. The argument was getting really annoying, anyways. "Now that that's over—ACK!" Intense pain runs through my right shoulder. I don't know why, though. I didn't hit it on anything. Then, several images appear in front of me.

Crow, on his Duel Runner, racing down the highway. Another, he's trying to make a turn, and there's someone in his way. A flash, and now Crow is sitting on the pavement, the _Blackbird_ damaged nearby, and he's holding his shoulder. The last image, a monster that has hooks for hands, and I can feel dark powers running through it.

I blink, and the images vanish along with the pain. "What was that?" Sydney asks.

"Are you okay?" Shoshan adds, his face full of concern.

"I'm fine," I say, "but I don't think Crow is." Exactly as I say this, my phone rings, and I answer it. "It's Crow, isn't it?"

My brother's voice comes from the other end, _"How did you…? Never mind. Crow's on his way to Neo Domino General."_

"Is he alright?"

"_He's alive, conscious, and pretty upset that he crashed. Other than that, I don't know."_

"I'm on my way." I click the phone off. "Crow's at the hospital," I tell my friends, "Duel Runner crash. He's alive and I'm pretty sure he's trying to kick his way out of the hospital." I mentally facepalm, now's not the time to be cracking jokes.

"You want us to come with you?" Shoshan asks.

"No," I reply, "I'll tell you guys exactly what happened later."

**XXX**

"There's a fracture in my shoulder bone?" Crow demands incredulously, almost exactly at the same time that I walk into the room.

Well. Perfect timing for me to show up. And a fracture would explain the amount of pain I felt, if that pain belonged to Crow and I felt it for some reason. But that will take a long time to heal, and not time that Crow has.

"Yeah, should take about a month to heal," the doctor replies, "maybe two."

"But the prelims are in three days!" Akiza says.

"I can still Duel, right?" Crow asks. "I mean, I feel fine! Never felt better!"

"You can't Duel," the doctor adamantly replies.

"I'm begging you, doc," Crow gets down on his hands (well, hand) and knees, "there has to be something! Please, I'll do anything you want! I _need_ to be in the tournament with my friends! There must be _something_ else you can do. Tell me I can still Duel!"

"I would, but you can't," the doctor says. "I'm definitely not going to sign your release forms."

I see Crow's aura turn red. Crow angry doesn't usually mean anything good. And sure enough, Crow quickly gets off the floor and shouts, "You're just a quack doctor! And I don't need your quacky permission… or this cast!" He reaches to take the cast off and screams in pain.

"Crow, you need to calm down," I tell him.

Crow closes his eyes and clenches the fist of his uninjured arm. "Why me? Why now?"

**XXX**

That night, Team 5D's held a meeting to talk about what they were going to do about the tournament, and I decided to listen in on what they planned to do. Now, as I listen to them, I can't believe I left the team in order to start my own. I didn't know something like this would happen, that Yusei's team would end up down a member. I could have been the backup.

"So, it's just going to be the two of us entering?" Jack asks Yusei.

"According to the tournament rules," Bruno says, "you'll get 12,000 Life Points between the three of you, but only 8,000 if two of you participate."

_So, they'd start off at a huge disadvantage,_ I think. "You aren't going to withdraw from the competition, are you guys?" They better not withdraw. I've wanted to Duel them for _so_ long.

"No," Yusei answers, "we've come too far to withdraw from the competition."

Jack slams his hand against the table. "We can't enter with the intention of losing. We'll win!"

"Um, guys," Akiza interrupts, "I'm part of Team 5D's as well—let me Duel."

"Are you sure you're up for that?" I ask. Akiza is relatively new to Turbo Dueling, so I don't know if it's a good idea for her to Duel in place of Crow.

Bruno decides to look at the positive aspects of this instead, and says, "That might not be such a bad idea! I mean, she's a sharp Duelist and she knows your strategies."

"I don't know everything about Turbo Dueling," Akiza says as she takes off her glove, revealing her Mark of the Dragon. "But it's like you're always saying, Yusei. We're all connected by a bond. We can do this, together." Right after she says this, Akiza turns around, where Crow is walking out of the garage. "Wait, Crow. Where are you going?"

Crow turns around sharply. "Shut up!" He turns back towards the door, "I'm _clearly_ replaceable. Who _cares_ where I go?" He runs outside and disappears into the rain, leaving everyone inside utterly shocked.

I won't let him run off like that. So, I run out into the rain in pursuit of my friend.

**XXX**

I find Crow sitting in front of a warehouse, slightly protected from the rain by an overhang, but only slightly. He looks up at me. "What do you want?"

"You know, that outburst was rude. Akiza was only trying to help."

"So, you only came to scold me, then," Crow says, looking away from me. "I was right—I really am just replaceable."

"How can you say that?" Of all the things to say, and he _knows_ it's not true. Yusei and Jack were almost considering leaving the tournament because of Crow's injury—if he really is replaceable, they wouldn't have had that conversation and Akiza or even someone else would have automatically stepped up for his position.

"You don't know how I feel."

"I can guess," I say. And, with my aura-vision, my guesses will be pretty spot on. "Look Crow, I know you're feeling pretty useless and angry right now, and I can totally understand that. I've felt useless before—heck, I feel useless right now. If my powers weren't sealed, I would fix your arm in a heartbeat. But they are, or at least, the part that I would use to heal you is."

"If you're trying to cheer me up, it's not working."

"There's no point in beating yourself up over this," I say. "What's done is done, and we can't fix that. But what we _can_ help fix is the future, and Akiza's going to need a lot of help before the prelims. So why don't you get up off your butt and do something about that?"

Crow looks at me with disbelief. I'm not the best at giving pep talks, so I guess this one surprised him. He stands up. "You're right. I'll call her right now."

And that's how me, Crow, and Akiza ended up practicing at the pier through the entire night and the rain, and even well into the next day.

**XXX**

I wish Yusei good luck one more time as our teams split apart. Due to the number of teams registered for the preliminary rounds, two Duels would be taking place at the same time every day, and unfortunately, Team 5D's is facing off against Team Unicorn at the same time my team is facing off against our first opponent, Team White Wind, so I won't be able to cheer on my brother—I'll be focused on my own team's Duel.

Actually, that's what I thought, but when Sydney as the lead quickly beat the first two Duelists of the other team, I switched over to watching Jack's Duel with the Team Unicorn member—André, I think his name is. When Sydney was finally defeated, and Shoshan took the stage, I still wasn't too worried in us losing or not.

Then, Jack loses to André, and his Duel Runner crashes. The attention of the entire crowd—even Shoshan and the Team White Wind Duelist—switches to him. If Jack doesn't get back to the pit and switch off in time, then Team 5D's will be disqualified. And even though he stands up and starts pushing his Duel Runner back to the pit, I don't know if he'll make it.

I type in a few commands on my computer to open the rulebook of the WRGP. I skip to the section on what happens if a member of the team crashes. It says that teammates aren't allowed to interfere with the person if he or she starts pushing the Duel Runner to the pit, but it _does_ allow a member from a different team to help—as long as they don't touch the Duelist that crashed. They're only allowed to help push the Runner.

"Shoshan, you better not lose. I'm going to go help Jack," I say through the radio system installed in all of our helmets.

"_Don't worry—I don't think either of us is making a move until we see what happens with Jack."_

I run out to where Jack is, and he shouts, "I'm fine! If you interfere, we'll be disqualified!"

"No you won't. I checked the rulebook—someone from another team is allowed to help push a wrecked Duel Runner to the pit. And," at this I look up at the MC, "being part of Team Cosmos means I can help."

The MC scrambles through a rulebook. "She's right! But will their combined strengths be enough to beat André's laps around the stadium?"

Of course the MC always has to put a negative spin on things. But I don't let that bother me as I start pushing and before long, Akiza is speeding out of the pit, and Jack's on his way to the emergency room. My work done, I return to my area and continue watching the Duels. I don't watch for long, though.

The last member of Team White Wind pulls off an interesting combo involving _Vylon Epsilon_, a _Metalmorph_, and one of her other Vylon monsters being used as an Equip Card to level out Shoshan's field, and attacks to defeat Shoshan. I'm a little bit upset, since Yusei had taken Akiza's place already, and I wanted to watch him Duel. Oh well, it's not like I can do anything to change that.

"Finish this, Sky," Shoshan says as he hands over the two cards he still had on the field when he lost—an Attack Position _Mespirit_ and a face-down _Speed Spell-Monster Reborn._

"No problem," I reply, leaving the pit and catching up to the White Wind Duelist. I think her name is Lila. The two cards I have will make a huge difference in this Duel. _Epsilon_ doesn't have any more Equip cards, so it won't be using its effect anytime soon. "Let's go!"

**Lila's Life Points: 2300, Sky's Life Points: 4000**

**Lila S.C. 5, Sky S.C. 2**

I look at what I have in my hand. I don't have a wicked combo just yet, but I have the cards I can use to stall in order to get what I need. "I Summon _Celestial Defender_, and I switch _Mespirit _to Defense Mode. I'll place two cards face-down and end my turn."

**Celestial Defender ATK: 500, DEF: 2000, Level 2**

"You'll have to do better than that!" Lila says. "My turn, draw!"

**Lila S.C. 6, Sky S.C. 3**

"I Summon _Vylon Stigma_ in Attack Mode!"

**Vylon Stigma ATK: 1600, DEF: 1000, Level 4**

A monster with a black body covered in gold plating appears next to my opponent's Synchro Monster, its hands (if you can call them hands) ready to grab something.

"Alright, my _Vylon Epsilon _attacks your _Celestial Defender_!" The monster gathers a ball of light between its hands, and launches a powerful beam at my defending monster.

"I counter with the Quick Play _Speed Spell-Celestial Reflector_! With this card, since I have three Speed Counters and a Celestial monster on the field, I can negate your attack." That keeps my monster safe, and _Mespirit,_ while it only has 1500 ATK and DEF, can't be destroyed in battle, so Lila ends her turn.

"My move then!" I draw my card and smile. _That's one step closer. Now I just need to draw that card and I can win this Duel._

**Lila S.C. 7, Sky S.C. 4**

"I Summon _Celestial Wizard_ in Defense Mode," I say.

**Celestial Wizard ATK: 1800, DEF: 1000, Level 4**

A man in a silver robe appears, holding a large staff. He kneels down, holds the staff in front of him, and his coloring shifts to blue.

"I'll place one card face-down and end my turn."

"It's my turn!" Lila draws her card and nods.

**Lila S.C. 8, Sky S.C. 5**

"You may have a monster that can't be destroyed in battle, but can it survive a card effect?" Lila asks. "I Summon the Tuner _Vylon Stella_ in Attack Mode!"

**Vylon Stella ATK: 1400, DEF: 200, Level 3**

Its body appears to be two white triangles that overlap, forming the illusion of a six-pointed star, and there are golden rings around the points of one triangle.

A Tuner? Those were what she used against Shoshan—their effects let them equip to a monster after they leave the field. And then _Epsilon_ can activate its effect, and that would destroy _Mespirit_. I can't let that happen—_Mespirit_ is part of my victory plan.

"I activate my Trap _Celestic Trio_! While I have exactly two Celestial monsters on the field and at least one in my hand, I can send one of the monsters in my hand to the Graveyard to negate the Summoning of a monsterand return it to the owner's hand." _There, that keeps them safe at least one more turn._

Lila narrows her eyes and frowns. That _Vylon Stella_ is the only card in her hand, now that _Celestic Trio's_ effect went through, and I guess her one face-down isn't something she can activate now. "I guess that means I end my turn."

_Okay, I really need to draw _Celestial Archer_ now, or my path to victory will be so much harder._ "I draw!" I look at my card and heave a sigh of relief. It's _Celestial Archer._

**Lila S.C. 9, Sky S.C. 6**

"I Summon the Tuner _Celestial Knight-Earth_ in Attack Mode!"

**Celestial Knight-Earth ATK: 1900, DEF: 1000, Level 4**

A woman in dark green armor appears. Mixed in with the green, there are blue lines covering the creases in the armor. My knight also holds a small dagger.

"Now, I Tune my Level 4 _Celestial Knight-Earth_ with my Level 4 _Celestial Wizard_! _As night falls and darkness rises, the stars gather together to form one mighty beast! _Synchro Summon!_ Bring forth the light, Celestial Dragon-Quasar!"_

**Celestial Dragon-Quasar ATK: 3000, DEF: 2000, Level 8**

My dragon—silver body and dark purple wings—spirals to the field. She roars, her pale blue eyes showing determination.

"Celestial Knight-Earth's ability activates: when she's used as Synchro Material for a Celestial Monster, one monster you control loses 1000 Attack Points. I'm choosing your _Vylon Stigma_."

Two green rings appear around _Vylon Stigma_ and tighten up, the monster trying to use its pinchers to break free, but to no avail.

**Vylon Stigma ATK: 600**

"Why not weaken my stronger monster?" Lila asks.

I smile. "You'll see. Also, now that I've successfully Synchro Summoned, I can Special Summon another Tuner, _Celestial Archer,_ from my hand. But he won't be staying long, because I Tune him with my Level 3 _Mespirit_ and Level 2 _Celestial Defender_. _In the depths of the night sky, light shines as a pale reflection of all of our hope! _Synchro Summon!_ Rise up, Celestial Dragon-Moon!"_

**Celestial Dragon-Moon ATK: 1500, DEF: 2700**

My second dragon has an entirely black body, although she does have intricate gray markings on her head and arms. Her green eyes sparkle, ready for victory.

_Now, my new card…_ "I activate my Trap _Graceful Revival,_ which brings back my Level 2 _Celestial Archer_ in Attack Mode. And once again, he's going in a Synchro Summon! I Tune my Level 2 _Celestial Archer _with my Level 7 _Celestial Dragon-Moon_! _The boundaries of light and dark come together now… Being of Darkness, rise!_ Synchro Summon! _Come out, Celestial Dragon Chaos!_"

**Celestial Dragon-Chaos ATK: 3400, DEF: 2600, Level 9**

For a second, my new dragon appears to be white and orange on its right side, and black and dark blue on the other, but then the black and blue overtake the lighter colors. This makes my dragon have an interesting pattern of blue lines over the black. My dragon's eyes are gold.

Lila stares, mouth agape at my dragon. "And I thought my _Vylon Omega_ was impressive…"

_Vylon Omega?_ It's not a card I've heard of, but it must be Lila's ace. Too bad she won't be able to use it. "I activate _Celestial Dragon-Chaos_' ability: once per turn, I can banish a Celestial card from my Graveyard along with one card on the field and, if the card banished from the field is a monster, I gain Life Points equal to its ATK. I choose your _Vylon Epsilon_!"

_Chaos_ roars, and a dark cloud appears over us, sucking in _Epsilon_ and the _Celestial Reflector_ from my Graveyard. Then, the cloud bursts apart, and sparkles rain down on me.

**Sky's Life Points: 6800**

"_Celestial Dragon-Chaos_ can't attack the turn it's Summoned, but my _Celestial Dragon-Quasar_ has more than enough Attack Points to finish the Duel! So go, attack with _Quasar Flash!_"

_Celestial Dragon-Quasar_ bathes herself in a shimmering white light, and then lets loose a powerful blast from her mouth. The attack decimates the weakened _Vylon Stigma_ and the rest of Lila's Life Points.

**Lila's Life Points: 0. Winner: Sky—Team Cosmos**

"Look at that folks! One of our amazing Duels just came to a close, and Team Cosmos is on top!" the MC shouts. "Now, we just need to wait for the other match to finish, but I don't think it will be much longer. Team Unicorn's Deck milling strategy is taking its toll—Yusei just drew the last card in his Deck!"

I return to the pit—our victory lap will wait until after the other Duel finishes—and dismiss my teammates' praise. I want to see how Yusei's Duel turns out. But I hope he has another plan, because Jean just pulled a combo that cleared away all of Yusei's Trap cards. If he ends his turn now, Yusei will automatically lose. _You better have something, Yusei._

I was not expecting an answer when I thought that. But what did happen was that Yusei smiles and says, "Don't worry, I've got something."

This makes Jean hesitate, thinking that what Yusei said could just be a bluff, or if he actually did have something. Jean doesn't only have to end his turn—if he attacks _Rapid Warrior_, then one of his cards will take away the rest of Yusei's Life Points. "I… I attack _Rapid Warrior_ with my _Hypnocorn_!"

"That's what I was hoping for!" Yusei says. "I activate the effect of the _Stronghold Guardian_ in my hand! By discarding it to the Graveyard, I can increase _Rapid Warrior's_ Defense Points by 1500."

_Hypnocorn's_ attack bounces off of _Rapid Warrior_.

**Jean's Life Points: 0. Winner: Yusei—Team 5D's**

_Great, he won. But…_ Why was Yusei able to hear my thought? Is it possible that things are going back to how they were before I faked my death? No. I shake my head. It's not possible. I severed the connection, and I'm fairly certain there's no possible way to fix that. But… could there be?

**To be continued…**

Me: That's it! Man, it feels good to get this chapter out. Sky helping Jack push his Runner has been cooking around in my head for so long…

Sky: And you still manage to put it a bit of a plot twist close to the end.

Me: Yeah, because I have a really cool idea involving the mind link for later in this story, during the actual WRGP rather than the prelims.

Yusei: That 'cool idea' wouldn't involve death, would it?

Me: Uh… It involves _preventing _death. So I guess so.

Sky: By the way, I forgot to ask why pretty much everyone isn't here.

Leo: Yeah! Why's it just me, Luna, your OCs, and Yusei?

Me: Because I'm going to post that story I was planning to back in chapter 41. Speaking of that… Yusei needs to leave too.

Yusei: Why?

Me: *Whispers something into his ear*

Yusei *Eyes widen* You did _what!?_

Me: Please don't tell Akiza. Or Crow. They'll kill me.

Sky: What happened?

Me: You'll find out at the end of chapter 2 in my other story. So far, I've posted the prologue for it. The story's called Rewind. Anywho, before I get really sidetracked, I'm asking for people to review! Thanks to those who have, and who've added this to their favorites and follows, but I won't update if I only get one review for a chapter. Remember, I just want to hear what you think about this story. So if you want to flame it, go ahead! I just hope you like this so far…


	44. Chapter 44: Shadow Card

Me: *huff, huff* Do you know how hard it is to catch a muse in a 'destruction by fire' rampage with a broomstick and a garden hose? Nearly impossible. But I did it, and I'm updating Blue Sky for once!

Sky: Great! A distraction from Rewind!

Me: Actually, Rewind is a distraction from this story. But the real reason why I wasn't able to update Blue Sky is because there are only three things I can write fanfiction on. My family's iPad, my family's laptop, or the Chromebook I just got through school. The iPad is just plain annoying and likes to delete my work at random times, and almost everything including this site is blocked on my Chromebook. Also, the laptop battery kind of broke, and my dad hid the charger, but then we got a new battery last week and we got the charger back yesterday. So, I've managed to work on this.

Luna: Hey, you never really tell us much about how your life is going on in Rewind. How has it been?

Me: Busy. I have dance on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, marching band practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with a game on Friday, and starting next week, I have competitions for marching band on Saturdays. Then, I have church choir on Sundays. Also, I'm in all Honors classes. So, writing fanfiction has not only come to be when I have access to do it, it's also an issue with the time to do it.

Sky: *Whistles* And yet, you've updated Rewind a lot.

Me: I don't need to reference that one when I'm working on it, so I can write that with no problem on my Chromebook. It's Blue Sky that I make sure is close to the storyline, hence the spotty updates. *Shakes head* I'll continue with stuff at the end of the chapter. For now, I'm going to say that I don't own 5Ds and all that stuff. But, you might be confused if you haven't read Rewind, because there's at least one mention of part of that story in here. Other than that, enjoy!

**Chapter 44**

The celebration for both of our victories didn't start until that night, when we pushed back all of the furniture other than a large table into another room, and we got a lot of good food out. Why would we celebrate after only one win? I don't know, but it was Yusei's idea.

The celebration isn't even eventful, other than an argument between Jack and Crow (set of by Leo), and another argument between Mina, Carly, and that girl from the coffee shop across the street—Stephanie I think her name is. The second argument is pretty amusing, since the three women are arguing over who gets Jack or something along the lines of that.

Suddenly an odd feeling rises in my gut. Something's going to go down here, and soon. I hear footsteps behind me, and I whip around. It's Sherry—and her aura is still just as unreadable as it was the last time we met. Even if she seems much calmer than last time.

"Well, Team 5D's and Team Cosmos are already celebrating after only one win?" she asks.

"Uh, are you?" Carly asks.

"My name is Sherry LeBlanc," she replies. "I don't believe I've met everyone here."

"Is your first Duel already over?" Bruno asks.

"Yes," Sherry says. "I had to enter with only Elsworth helping me, though, because Yusei refused to join us."

Like Yusei would even consider joining Sherry's team. He's already got his own. "I'm assuming you won, despite the disadvantages?" I ask. I haven't seen Sherry's Deck, but Elsworth's was quite a bit to be reckoned with, so I have no doubt that they won.

"I beat all three of the other Duelists," Sherry says. "I must win this tournament no matter what it takes."

I nod, impressed. Not many people can pull off something like that. Though, why would she need to win no matter what? Does it have something to do with her unreadable aura?

"Is this about Yliaster?" Yusei asks.

"What? Sherry knows about them?" I ask, incredulously.

"I do," Sherry says, and for a brief moment her fiery aura wavers, though not for long enough for me to see what it wavered to. "I've also found information that points towards the Ghost you met is involved with Yliaster."

How in the _world_ does Sherry know all of this? I know Sector Security kept that incident with Ghost under wraps, and the only people that know that I Dueled him (or it, really, considering that Ghost was a robot) are Mina, Trudge, and my friends. I'll have to find out later… "It wouldn't surprise me. Ghost was a pretty powerful opponent, and his Meklord Emperor was practically off the charts powerful. And since Ghost was a hijacked robot… someone had to be behind it."

Yliaster would definitely be my first guess. That Infinity Symbol couldn't have come from nowhere, and the Meklord Emperor was far too sophisticated to have randomly shown up, and in the hands of a robot.

"Have your paths crossed with anyone strange recently?"

"Ah! Ours has!" Leo pokes in. "There was this weird transfer student to our class, Lester. Luna and I ended up Dueling him."

"He had a Meklord Emperor as well!" Luna adds.

"And when the Duel started, this weird glowing eight showed up on the ground, and it made the damage real," Leo says.

"Just like what happened when the fake me tried to take my place," Jack says.

Ugh, that's not an event I want to remember. I still can't believe I lost.

"The same glowing circles appeared in our Duel, and the damage became real. Afterwards, we found out it was a Duel Bot, but that was all we got."

"Yeah, the cave where Jack and I were held disappeared directly afterwards," I say. "It didn't make any sense at all… It still doesn't."

"Interesting."

"You know," Jack says, "if we put together everything we've said so far, it amounts to our enemy having incredible technology."

"Hey! It's just like that factory we went to in pursuit of our stolen engine program!" Crow says. "Man, that place was like the inside of a spaceship. I bet that place has Yliaster written all over it, but what are they building in there?"

"Something that needs our engine program," Bruno says.

"Did you see anything there that we didn't?" Crow turns to Bruno. "You went farther than everyone else."

"I didn't… Some guy in this white cloak knocked me unconscious, and I don't remember anything."

So much for a possible lead. "Okay, but then why does Yliaster seem to have such an interest in us?" I ask. "It's not like there's a shortage of other people they could have something against."

"If I had to guess," Sherry says, "it would have to do with the fact that you are all Signers, or in your case, related to one."

I bite the inside of my lip. _Maybe I'm not a Signer, but I could have been one. In a different world…_ I shove away that particular memory. If Sherry knows about the Crimson Dragon, could she know about Reshiram?

'_No. There is no possible way she could know about me.'_

'_I find that a little hard to believe.'_ She shouldn't have known about my encounter with Ghost, or half of the other stuff this conversation has been about.

'_Oh? But you have been doing so much at keeping this under wraps. Your brother, Kalin, and your aunt are the only living people who know about me.'_

'_I suppose you're right…'_ After this, I tune back into the conversation, where Mina finishes saying something about no one seeing any of the new Directors. I must have missed something—more than one person took over after the Dark Signer fiasco? That's new.

"And you don't think that's suspicious at all?" Crow demands.

"Of course I do," Mina says. She turns and starts walking towards the door. "I'm going to go demand to meet the new Directors, and I won't be taking no for an answer. I'll let you know what I find out." Carly and Stephanie follow Mina out after thanking us for the party.

So, Sector Security being involved with this? I guess it makes sense… "Sherry, I think you saw more than I did when we were in Sector Security headquarters. What exactly happened there?"

"I don't know," she says and looks away. "This violent storm appeared out of nowhere and started tearing the room apart. Then a blinding light filled the room, and it was like we were transported to another dimension. There was someone… or something… there with us."

Ah, this part is new. After the blinding light, I didn't see anything, and Yusei refused to talk to me about it.

"The floating eye," Yusei offers.

"The floating… eye? What does that mean?" I ask. Then another thought comes to mind. "You think this floating eye is pulling Yliaster's strings?"

"Perhaps… I don't know." Sherry starts to walk to her Duel Runner. "But I have no doubt that Yliaster will approach me if I continue to win in the tournament." She gets on the Runner and puts on her helmet. "Yusei Fudo, I hope we do not have to face each other before then. Otherwise, I will have to beat you." And she pulls off this wheelie that turns her Duel Runner around and leaves.

'_Have… fig… on.'_

I look at Yusei in surprise. Maybe that wasn't a full thought line, but I know that was Yusei's thought, and I heard it. That means Yusei answering my thought during his Duel must not have been a coincidence. But just as I go to ask to speak to Yusei in private, Bruno slams his hands on the table, and everyone's attention goes to him. Bruno looks pretty pale and has a near death grip on one part of the table.

"Are you okay?" Luna asks.

"I… I just got dizzy," Bruno says. "I'll go outside and get some fresh air. That should help." He lets go of the table and walks out of sight.

Well, this isn't much of a party anymore.

**XXX**

Later, I find that Yusei has gone outside, and I go over to him. I shouldn't put off asking about this anymore. "Well, today was pretty eventful," I say.

"It was."

"I don't mean to add to the excitement, but I have a really important question, and I really don't think it should be put off. Yusei, when you said 'Don't worry, I've got something' in your Duel with Jean, was it in response to something I said?"

Yusei raises an eyebrow. "Yes… Why? You weren't saying something through the com-link?"

I shake my head. "I didn't say anything. You responded to a thought I had."

"What?" A second, and realization flashes across his face. "Oh… Just like before, then."

"Yeah. And as far as I know, this shouldn't be possible. Once that bond breaks… it's gone for good. Or at least, it's supposed to…" I trail off. Really, since when as 'supposed to' ever applied to either of us? I honestly don't know. 'Supposed to' and 'normal' are two things that never apply to us.

"Well… Why don't we make sure this works?" Yusei asks. "Think of something."

'_Testing it would be a good idea,'_ I think. Upon Yusei saying exactly what I had thought out loud, I say, "Okay, you're turn."

But, like before, I must only be getting pieces of it, because all I get is _'I… thi… ight… sting…'_ I shake my head. "I heard something, but not much. What did you think?"

"I think this might be interesting."

"I didn't get that, but yeah. You're definitely right about this being interesting."

**XXX**

The door to the garage swings open and hits the wall rather loudly. I jerk up from my position on the couch and see Yusei, Jack, Crow, Bruno, Carly, and Breo come inside. "You guys are back already? And why is Breo with you?" They hadn't left that long ago to go watch Team Unicorn Duel in their next match.

"André and Jean both crashed in the middle of their matches," Breo says. "Like I told Yusei earlier, I don't believe this was an accident."

"We were going to run their Duel Runner's memory cards," Yusei adds.

"Okay." So I stand up and help them get up the data. For some reason, there is a sharp drop in both Runner's wheel rotation. That could explain for the loss of control. But what could have caused the same malfunction twice?

"I think Team Catastrophe is behind this," Breo says. "But I don't see how they could have interfered during the Duel. We would have seen something."

"Ah!" Crow exclaims. Everyone looks at him. "I just remembered! When my Runner crashed, it felt like the wheels had locked up for no reason!"

And the data proves it. Crow's Duel Runner registers the same loss in wheel rotation.

"So, those creeps are responsible for my crash? That does it. Revenge will be mine!"

"Crow," Yusei says, "we don't have nearly enough evidence to prove it."

"And even if they are," Bruno adds, "_how_ are they doing it? They couldn't have hacked in, that would be in the data. And it's hard to see how someone watching the Duel didn't see anything suspicious."

"Oh, I have footage of the Duel between Team Catastrophe and Team Unicorn," Carly says. She reaches into her bag and pulls out a flashdrive. "I have it all on here."

I hold in a facepalm. Oh, Carly... Why didn't you mention this earlier.

**XXX**

But, as it turns out, the footage isn't very helpful. We watch both of them going perfectly fine, and then they just start losing control. And both times, there's this strange monster with hooks for hands on Team Catastrophe's field. Wait a second... Hooks for hands? "I've seen that card before!"

"What? Where?" Yusei asks.

"I don't know what it's called, but... I saw that card in this weird little half-vision. It's why I knew Crow had crashed before you called." I shrug. "That's not important. See when and how that card was used in the Duel."

"Let's see..." Bruno types in a few commands. "Okay, André tried attack the card, _Hook the Hidden Knight_, and that's when he crashed. Jean crashed during his opponent's turn, after _Hook's_ ability was activated. You think the monster has something to do with this?"

I nod vigorously. "In the half-vision, I felt some sort of dark powers running through it."

"Then you guys need to be careful on your Duel Runners," Carly points out. "They already got Crow. Who's to say they don't try to get someone else on this team?"

And, like those words were some sort of trigger, a wave of dizziness runs through my head, and two images cross over in front of my eyes. One of three guys, whom I believe are the members of Team Catastrophe, laughing maniacally as their hook-handed monster does something. The second, and Akiza is lying unconscious on the highway, her Duel Runner broken and in flames nearby with a slowly disappearing _Rose Tentacles _hovering over it.

I blink and the images vanish. "Akiza!" Yusei has the same panicked look on his face that I have on my own.

**XXX**

We're at the hospital now. Yusei and I are outside of Akiza's room, on the phone with Bruno. "...And she won't be able to be in the next match," Yusei finishes summing up the extent of Akiza's injuries.

"What about you, Bruno?" I ask.

_"It's the same as the others. Her wheels definitely locked up all of a sudden."_

"That's what I thought," I mutter.

"Those punks!" Crow must have walked out of Akiza's room when we weren't paying any attention. He storms off. "We know what they're doing. I'm going to go call them on it."

"Wait!" Yusei runs over to Crow. "Look, I'm angry about this just as much as you are, but we can't act impulsively."

"Yeah, well I'm not going to sit here and do nothing. I want to settle this, now!"

"And we will! In our Turbo Duel!" Yusei says.

Crow sighs in defeat. "Alright. But I'm going to be the one doing the settling." He takes off the sling his arm is in, and lets it fall to the floor. "I don't care what you guys say. Akiza stood in for me, so I'm going to stand up to her. I'll be in that Duel."

**XXX**

I sit down uncomfortably in the stadium seat as Crow and Hermann arrive at the starting line. I don't have a very good feeling about this Duel. And when the two Duelists take off, Hermann takes the lead. Then, Crow catches up just in time for the corner, and is just about to take it when Hermann gets really close to Crow's Runner and elbows my friend's still-injured arm. Crow loses speed and the corner. "Hey! That should be a penalty!" I shout in anger.

"This is Turbo Dueling. Unfortunately, there's no such thing," Trudge says.

I sit back down, muttering in frustration.

**Hermann's Life Points: 4000 S.C. 1, Crow's Life Points: 4000 S.C. 1**

"For my first move, I Summon _Hook the Hidden Knight_ in Attack Mode!" Hermann declares.

**Hook the Hidden Knight ATK: 1600, DEF: 0, Level 4**

The hook-handed monster appears, and I shudder as a chill runs up my back. That monster means bad news.

"I'll end my turn with a face-down," Hermann says.

"Alright it's... agh... It's my turn!" Crow announces, drawing his card at a rather odd angle.

**Hermann S.C. 2, Crow S.C. 2**

"And now I Summon _Blackwing-Siroco the Dawn _in Attack Mode because you control a monster and I don't!" Crow says.

**Blackwing-Sirocco the Dawn ATK: 2000, DEF: 900, Level 5**

"Now, _Sirocco the Dawn_ is soaring into attack _Hook the Hidden Knight!_Go, _Dark Wing Slash_!" Crow orders.

_This is it,_ I think. Crow's put himself in the same situation as André by attacking that monster. It's time to see what it does.

Hermann grins. "You're going to have to do better than that," he says. "I activate _Hook the Hidden Knight's_ ability, _Shadow Hook._ When he's selected as an attack target while in Attack Mode, both he and the attacking monster are switched into Defense Mode."

A wave of purple light flashes out of _Hook_, and both monsters turn blue and bend down, holding their arms in front of them.

"But the best part of this ability is that when _Hook_ is changed into Defense Mode, you get slammed with 800 points of damage," Hermann says.

**Crow's Life Points: 3200**

The _Blackbird_ starts wavering on the track, and my attention goes to it's wheels. And, right near the back wheel, the shadow of a hook appears. If that's what I think it is, it means that the dark powers in that card could make that shadow real and that means... "Crow! Your wheel!" I stand up and shout._  
><em>

"I know!" He steers his Runner into an awkward swerve and just about loses his balance, but he regains it and manages not to fall.

"Did you see that?!" Trudge shouts.

"Yeah," Mina says. "It looked like something tried to attack Crow's back wheel."

"I set four cards face-down and end my turn," Crow says.

Hermann shakes his head and smiles. "It doesn't matter what you do, as long as I have _Hook_, this Duel is mine." He draws his card.

**Hermann S.C. 3, Crow S.C. 3**

"I'm switching _Hook the Hidden Knight _into Attack Mode and Summoning _Dark the Hidden Knight_ to join him."_  
><em>

**Dark the Hidden Knight ATK: 800, DEF: 0, Level 3**

The monster that appears looks similar to _Hook_, only his cloak looks more like wings and has claws rather than hooks for hands.

"Get ready Crow, 'cause _Dark the Hidden Knight_ can attack you directly!"

**Crow's Life Points: 2400**

"And now _Hook the Hidden Knight_ is going to attack your bird and then you!"

The hook on _Hook the Hidden Knight_ extends and smashes _Sirocco the Dawn_. And again, the hook appears from the shadows, and Crow narrowly dodges it. But can he keep this up? "Grr... I'm setting one card face-down and ending my turn," Hermann says.

Crow grabs his injured shoulder. Is it bugging him? I guess the rest of his team thinks so, because Leo holds out the green arrow that signifies a pit stop. But Crow, being Crow, ignores it and keeps going. "I'm not going back until I get rid of that monster. It's my turn, I draw!" Crow says.

**Hermann S.C. 4, Crow S.C. 4**

"I'm starting off by playing my Trap _Blackback," _Crow says. "This card lets me revive a Blackwing monster with 2000 or less Attack Points in exchange for my Normal Summon this turn." _Sirocco the Dawn _returns. "And he won't be alone for long, because _Blackwing-Gale the Whirlwind_ can be Special Summoned when I control a Blackwing monster."

**Blackwing-Gale the Whirlwind ATK: 1300, DEF: 400, Level: 3**

"Now, _Gale the Whirlwind's_ ability activates, which halves your _Hook the Hidden Knight's_Attack and Defense Points!" The small bird sends a whirlwind of black feathers at the hook-handed monster, and the feathers stick to the monster, making it look like it had just been in a pillow fight.

**Hook the Hidden Knight ATK: 1600 to 800, DEF: 0 to 0**

Crow grins. "With _Hook's_ power now lower, _Gale the Whirlwind_ is going to swoop in for a _Black Scratch_ attack!"

I say nothing. Crow has to have a plan, but this is going to trigger that shadow hook again. I hope he can dodge it again...

"You just don't learn, do you?" Hermann asks. "Just like before, _Hook the Hidden Knight_ forces himself and your attacking monster into Defense Mode, and inflicts 800 points of damage!"

**Crow's Life Points: 1600**

The purple wave happens again, and the two monsters bend down and turn blue. And again, the hook comes out of the ground, so Crow pulls off this mini jump to dodge it. "Now, _Sirocco the Dawn_, finish up what _Gale_ started! Attack _Hook the Hidden Knight_ with _Dark Wing Slash!_"

"Too bad for you, now _Dark the Hidden Knight's _ability activates! I can release him and switch _Hook the Hidden Knight _back into Attack Mode!" Hermann counters. "And that means _Hook's_ ability activates again, so there goes your plan to get rid of him! _And_ you get 800 points of damage for your troubles."

**Crow's Life Points: 800**

I hold my breath as the hook appears again. Crow even switches his Duel Runner into Flight Mode, and even then, the hook tries to get him. Instead of a small swing at the tire, the entirety of a shadow _Hook the Hidden Knight_ comes out of the ground. The shadow swings, but luckily misses, and Crow returns to the ground. He's safe for now, but... His attack still failed to connect, and he only has 800 Life Points left. If Hermann has a Speed Spell...

"That may have stopped me this time," Crow says, "but it allows me to activate the effect of _Blackwing-Etesian of Two Swords_ from my hand. Because a Blackwing monster failed to destroy a monster in battle, this ability makes up for it and slams you with damage equal to _Sirocco's_ Attack Points."

**Hermann's Life Points: 2000**

"Now I activate my Trap, _Urgent Tuning_," Crow continues. "This lets me Synchro Summon during the Battle Phase."

Hermann snarls at the card. "I chain my own Trap, _Shadow Concealing Darkness_! This will prevent my monsters in Defense Mode from being destroyed in battle."

"I'm still Tuning my Level 3 _Blackwing-Gale the Whirlwind_ with my Level 5 _Blackwing-Sirocco the Dawn,_" Crow says. "_Darkened gales, become the wings that soar from resolved hope! Synchro Summon! Soar, Black-Winged Dragon!_"

**Black-Winged Dragon ATK: 2800, DEF: 1600, Level 8**

Out from the column of light comes a dragon with a snake-like body that I don't recognize. The dragon's whole body is black, with its jaw a dark yellow, and white wings with black markings on them. Then, the dragon turns blue, signaling that it is in Defense Mode.

_This must be Crow's Signer Dragon,_ I think. I can sense strong energy from the card. Good energy, not dark, like that _Hook the Hidden Knight_ gives off.

"Hmph. So, you know you can't win, so you're beefing up your defense?" Hermann asks.

"What kind of Duelist do you think I am?" Crow asks, offended by the comment. "I activate another Trap, _Defenders Intersect_! This card negates the abilities of both our monsters, switches them into Attack Mode, and forces them into battle."

"Yes! Go for it, Crow!" I shout. This could mean his victory.

_Black-Winged Dragon's_ wings slowly turn black with red markings as Crow shouts, "This isn't just for me! It's for André, Jean, and Akiza as well! _Black-Winged Dragon,_ demolish that _Hook the Hidden Knight_! Attack with _Noble Stream!_"

A stream of black and red energy bursts out of the dragon's mouth, causing the hook-handed monster to explode and send Hermann's Duel Runner spinning off track quite a bit.

**Hermann's Life Points: 0**

"I'm not letting it end like this!" Hermann declares. "I activate my _Revival Knight _Trap card! This brings back _Hook the Hidden Knight_ in Defense mode." The card returns, and Hermann continues, "So take this! The power of a Shadow Card!"

The shadow appears again behind Crow's Duel Runner. "I'm not letting that happen! I activate my Trap _Gravity Collapse!_ Sure, I have to get rid of my _Black-Winged Dragon, _but this lets me negate the Special Summoning of your _Hook the Hidden Knight!_" Crow counters.

A blast of electricity leaves the Trap and destroys the dragon, and then the ground under the shadow and the hologram of _Hook the Hidden Knight_ cracks, sucking both into the ground. Crow grabs his injured arm and, despite being in the stands, I can hear him groan. He returns to the pit, and Jack comes out to Duel.

**XXX**

Jack beats Nicolas in one turn, with there being another Shadow Card (this time a Trap), which resulted in this gigantic explosion. Both Jack and Nicolas are okay, but Nicolas' Duel Runner isn't, which resulted in an automatic win for Team 5Ds. So, I go down to congratulate them over their victory and to see if Crow's arm is doing okay, but just as I go to talk, pain runs through my head. For the first time in a while, I have a legitimate vision, rather than separated images with limited sound.

_Duel Bots. So many Duel Bots. All of them look like Ghost. They're flooding out of a storage facility. And, on top of the facility stands a man in a white robe, hood pulled up, and a sword strapped to his waist. Something like horns stick out from under the hood. The man shouts, "Go forth, my Diablo! Remember what your mission is, and send this City plummeting into chaos!"_

The vision cuts off abruptly, and I realize that I am on the ground, with everyone looking at me with worry written all over their faces. I look over, and I see Yusei being helped to his feet by Akiza. Yusei locks eyes with me.

"If that was what I think it was," Yusei says, "then we're in big trouble."

"You saw that?"

"Yeah."

_So, not only is the mind link returning to the way it was, but he had the same vision that I did?_ I think. _That shouldn't be possible, especially if he doesn't know of his powers. Which means... something is very wrong here._

**To be continued...**

Me: Yep, I just took a break for a month and I ended with a cliffhanger. Don't you just love me?

Sky: No.

Crow: *Pokes head in door* Definitely not!

Me: Too bad! Hey, have any of you played _Final Fantasy III_? I got it like, two weeks ago and I love it. It's hard though... Especially when you're the idiot that only has two magic users when in Mini form. That is not a good idea by the way. It makes the game overly complicated.

Sky: Where did that come from?

Me: Oh, I get sidetracked easily, remember? And then, every once in a while something random pops into my head, and I end up changing the subject. My friends call it having a 'Shimmering-Sky moment', only with my real name. It's quite funny, actually. Like some reviews I've gotten. So, I don't have much more to say... I would love to hear what you guys think about this story or any of my other ones! Just leave a review, and you will be my friendly friend! Also, you really need to check out Rewind. Sure, it's not done yet and it's rather evil, but there might be more mentions of stuff from it in the future of this story, so you will end up confused. Thanks to everyone for reading, reviewing, following, and/or favoriting this story! I'll try to update as soon as I can!


	45. Chapter 45: The Emperors of Yliaster

Me: Hey look, I haven't abandoned this yet!

Sky: Keyword, 'yet'...

Me: My life got in the way! Plus my five muses wouldn't agree on the beginning of the chapter.

Luna: I thought you only had four muses.

Me: Yeah, well now there's this unnamed fifth one that came to be because of one of my friends. This muse is evil, insane, and likes to Grammar Nazi stuff.

Unnamed Muse: SKOMAN FOR THE WIN!

Me: *Facepalm* How many times to I have to tell you NO!?

UM: *Sticks tongue out* Ha-ha, Kack.

Me: NO!

Sky: Did that muse just name-blend people?

Me: Yes… It's because the friend responsible for UM's creation seems to think that you and Roman would make a good couple, and just to annoy the heck out of me, also thinks that Jack and Kalin should be gay with each other.

Sky: WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH YOUR FRIEND?!

Me: Oh, the usual. So, I'm gonna go ahead and start this chapter. I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds or Pokemon, but I do own Sky and my other OCs. Enjoy!

Chapter 45

"What are you two talking about?" Crow asks, confusion written all over his face. Similar looks are on the rest of my friends' faces.

Just as I go to reply, MC gives an announcement to the entire stadium, revealing that several other preliminary matches have been interrupted, and many Turbo Duelists around the City have crashed. I wonder if this is the goal of the Ghost army, but then again… they might just be trying to bait out one of the Signers or myself. But attacking innocent people to do it? Why not come directly at us?

I sigh, shake my head, and say, "Long story short, the City is under attack from an army of Ghosts. They're the ones that caused the interruption of the other matches."

"They what?! But you defeated Ghost—why are there more?!" Leo asks.

"I don't know… But they're attacking the City!" I reply. "We can't just stay here and do nothing!"

**XXX**

I race down the highway faster than I ever have before. My friends and I had decided it would be best to split up, and we did. Crow and Akiza weren't allowed to help out with their injuries, so Crow's job was to drive Akiza back to the hospital (I still don't know how she ended up in the stadium). Leo and Luna stayed at the stadium, since there were still a lot of people there and they wanted to be at least some sort of defense against the Ghosts that appeared there if any did.

The sound of an explosion echoes nearby, and I race towards it. Shoshan follows close in pursuit. We discover Lila trying to put up a fight against four Ghosts, and she's losing. The Ghosts are using Ally of Justice cards—a big weakness to her LIGHT-Attributed Vylon cards, and to my own Celestial cards. But I like going up against the odds, so right after the third Ghost ends its turn, I shout, "Hey Lila! We'll take care of this, okay? It's my turn, I draw!"

"Be careful," Lila warns, and she leaves the Combat Lane.

**Ghost (x3) Life Points: 4000, Ghost Life Points: 1900, Sky's Life Points: 4000, Shoshan's Life Points: 4000**

**All Ghosts S.C. 4, Sky S.C. 1, Shoshan S.C. 1**

"I Summon the Tuner _Celestial Knight-Earth_ to the field in Attack Mode! Then, because I control a face-up Celestial monster, I can Special Summon _Celestial Wizard_ to join her!" I begin.

**Celestial Knight-Earth ATK: 1900, DEF: 1000, Level 4; Celestial Wizard ATK: 1800, DEF: 1000, Level 4**

"Not that these two matter, because they'll be going into a Synchro Summon! I Tune my Level 4 _Celestial Knight-Earth _with my Level 4 _Celestial Wizard! As night falls and darkness rises, the stars gather together to form one mighty beast! Synchro Summon! Bring forth the light, Celestial Dragon-Quasar!_"

**Celestial Dragon-Quasar ATK: 3000, DEF: 2000, Level 8**

My lady knight in dark green armor throws her sword into the air and turns into four green rings. They circle around _Celestial Wizard_ for a few moments until they flash into a column of light. Out of the light flies my ace dragon, sparkles falling off of her wings.

"_Celestial Knight-Earth's_ effect will lower the attack of your _Ally of Justice Nullifier_," I continue. "Then, _Celestial Dragon-Quasar _will attack it and get rid of the rest of your Life Points!"

One of the other Ghosts counters with _Mirror Force_, but the effect of my dragon nullifies the Trap. So her burst of light hits its target, making that Ghost explode.

**Ghost Life Points: 0**

'_One down, three to go,'_ I think. "Okay, with two card face-down, that ends my turn."

But just as Shoshan goes to draw his card, the three remaining Ghosts act like something just called them, and they leave the Combat Lane. "Uh… What just happened?" Shoshan asks.

"I have no idea." I stop my Runner and look around. "Well, this can't be good, can it?"

"Probably not. You think any of the others are in danger?"

An uneasy feeling settles in my gut. "Yeah, but I don't know who that would be…"

Something shines in the sky, and I only catch it because I happened to be looking in its direction. It seems to be a meteor, and the last two times a meteor came, a new Meklord Emperor appeared. "Shoshan, there's another meteor. We need to get over there."

"I hope the others are alright…" he trails off.

**XXX**

About ten minutes later, we get to the spot where we think the meteor landed, or tried to land. There are scorch marks on the Combat Lane. I don't think the meteor hit the ground. I think it was another one of those stone tablets, and that it turned into a card or something.

A piece of debris hits the side of my helmet, and I groan. The strange winds that appeared with the Ghosts are getting really annoying right now.

"Sky? You, uh, you might want to look behind you," Shoshan says, pointing to something in the distance.

I turn around and see something that I definitely was not expecting. In the distance is a full-on _tornado_ that's tearing up the City. Where the heck did the tornado come from? But, more importantly, is that where any of my friends are? I get back on my Runner and start heading towards the tornado.

"Are you crazy?" Shoshan asks.

"Probably," I reply, "but I have a feeling one of my friends is over there, so…"

**XXX**

As it turns out, Yusei was the one at the tornado. But the tornado is gone by the time I get there. Instead, Yusei has this glowing dragon that I've never seen before on his field, and his opponent has _Meklord Emperor Wisel Infinity_ (but it looks different than last time) on his field. This opponent has spiked gray hair, and it looks like he's combined with his Duel Runner. I think it's the guy I saw in that vision…

Ignoring the strange opponent, I look at my brother. "You alright Yusei?"

"I'm fine," he replies. "I was just going to defeat Primo."

His opponent snarls, "Like your dragon can take down my _Meklord Emperor Wisel_! The effects of _Skiel Carrier 5_ and _Wisel Guard 3_ can take on three attacks this turn!"

'_The _Skiel Carrier 5_ must be why it looks different,' _I think. _'I didn't realize that different _Meklord_ parts could combine like that...'_

"Maybe so, but I have a way around that! I activate another effect of _Shooting Star Dragon_! This effect lets me look at the top five cards of my Deck to see how many of them are Tuners. Then, _Shooting Star Dragon_ can attack as many times as that number," Yusei explains.

"Grr… You'd still need all five Tuners in order to defeat me!"

I hold my breath as Yusei draws the cards one by one. "The first is… _Nitro Synchron_. The second… _Junk Synchron_. The third… _Effect Veiler_. The fourth… _Debris Dragon_. And the last one is… _Hyper Synchron._ All five are Tuners."

"Impossible!" Primo shouts.

"Yes!" I exclaim. I don't know what else has happened in this Duel, but I do know that defeating this guy is a good thing. "Go for it, Yusei!"

"Alright, _Shooting Star Dragon_! Time to use your attacks! Go,_ Stardust Mirage_!" Yusei declares.

_Shooting Star Dragon_ splits into five copies, each a different color. The red one starts to descend on the giant robot, but the man counters, "Fine! _Skiel Carrier 5 _negates your first attack!"

The red dragon vanishes, and the orange one takes its place. The man continues, "...And then _Wisel Guard 3_ draws the attack in and survives due to its effect. That means your second attack is useless!"

The orange copy shatters as it hits the arm of the robot. Yusei, unfazed, continues, "So you've negated my first two, but you won't be negating the third!" The green dragon destroys the arm that is _Wisel Guard 3_. "...Or the fourth!" The yellow copy hits the other arm, but this arm was in Attack Mode. Primo screams as the arm explodes.

**Primo's Life Points: 100**

"And for the fifth and final attack… _Shooting Star Dragon_, end this Duel!"

The last copy, the blue one, swoops down and destroys the robot's head. The entire _Meklord Emperor Wisel Infinity_ explodes as Primo shouts, "Impossible! _Meklord Emperors_ can't be defeated by a measly human like you!"

"Oh yeah? It's happened twice now," I retort.

**Primo's Life Points: 0. Winner—Yusei Fudo**

Yusei and I stop our Duel Runners as Primo's Runner explodes. When the smoke clears, Primo is on the ground, but he's missing the lower half of his body! And there's no blood, either, just mechanical parts.

'_What in the world?'_

"Is he okay?" Yusei asks.

A short laugh echoes from somewhere, followed by a man saying, "Primo is fine; he doesn't need your pity. I'm surprised you would offer it, considering all he's done to your city."

The legless form of Primo, a sword that I just now realize he had, and his Duel Runner all start levitating. They end up on top of the monument made to signify the unification of Satellite and Neo Domino. Also on top of the monument are Lester and some other man. Lester catches the sword.

"You're the one that attacked Leo and Luna!" Yusei says angrily.

Lester chuckles a bit. "Oh please, attack is such a harsh word. Primo's the real villain here, since he's the one that used your program to make the Duel Bot army."

'_So _that's_ what they needed the program for,'_ I think.

"Yeah, Primo was the one who ordered Lazar to steal it," Lester continues. "Of course, now the Vice Director is in hiding, but I don't blame him. Primo's plans have a tendency to turn sour fast. For example, he borrowed some of my cards without even asking!" The boy bends down and takes Primo's entire Deck.

The sounds of Duel Runners echo nearby, and Jack, Crow, Shoshan, and some other guy on a weird blue Duel Runner pull up next to us. "You two alright?" Crow asks.

"We're fine," I reply.

"Ah, company!" Lester exclaims.

Jack looks to the top of the monument. "What's with them?"

"What's with us?" the tall man asks. "You'll find out soon enough, Jack Atlas! You and the rest of Neo Domino City shall!" He shrugs for a moment. "Yusei, Jack and Crow. It seems the contenders have gathered. Well, how ironic it is that we are meeting here, at the monument that symbolizes the unity between Neo Domino and Satellite."

"What the heck are you talking about?" Crow demands.

"Yeah, and who are you?" Jack adds.

"Oh yes, we haven't introduced ourselves yet. We three are the Emperors of Yliaster. I am the leader, Jakob," the man says.

"Hey, who made you leader?" Lester asks. Upon the glare that Jakob gives him, Lester says, "Alright, alright. Well, that makes me sub-leader. The name's Lester, as you already know. And this," the boy points at Primo, "is Primo, but you've already met him."

"Okay, we know who you are now, but tell us why you've brought all this havoc to our City!" I shout.

Lester laughs, "That information is on a need-to-know basis!"

Jakob interrupts by saying, "I'll tell you why."

"But it's supposed to be a secret."

"They can't stop us now," Jakob replies. "Our objective is to change the future. More accurately, to save it from destruction."

"The… future?" Yusei asks.

"You expect us to believe that?" Jack demands.

"Believe it, don't believe it, that's up to you. But you should know that we've been doing this for years; it's not like we _just_ started," Lester replies.

"What do you mean about saving it, though?" Yusei asks. "You can't possibly know what it is!"

"Oh, but we do!" Lester exclaims. "We know what the future holds and can't let it come to pass!"

"Liar!" Jack snaps.

"But it's true," Jakob says. "You see, there is an ever so delicate balance between good and evil. Yliaster is an organization that has existed from ancient times to make sure that you humans keep that balance where it belongs."

"So, you're saying that all the politicians and businessmen are your allies?" Crow asks.

"Not everyone," Jakob replies. "We don't need to tell everyone of our existence in order to change the world."

"And that means…?" I ask.

"All civilizations are structured like a pyramid. The weaker humans are at the bottom, and a select few stand at the top. Those are the ones who control the world's history, and as such, the future. That means those are the ones that we give power to."

Sherry's voice echoes, "So then you are the ones that killed my parents?" I look around to see where she is, and as it turns out, she's driving her Runner up the side of the monument.

"Perhaps," Jakob says. "Of course, I don't remember everyone who has meddled in our business."

"Then I'll make you remember!" Sherry shouts. Her Duel Runner leaves the monument, takes to the sky for a few moments, and starts to come down on Jakob.

Jakob doesn't move from his spot; instead he puts up one arm and _catches_ Sherry's Duel Runner before it hits him. "You cannot kill me with something like this," he says, and throws the Runner away from him. Sherry jumps off and lands on the diamond, but her Runner plunges into the ocean.

"You'll pay for that!" Elsworth's voice echoes. He, too, rides up the side of the monument. Lester, wielding Primo's sword, runs over to meet the butler. Elsworth pulls out his Duel Disk and the sword strikes it. They struggle for a moment until Lester lands a kick to one of Elsworth's shoulders, sending the man flying. Elsworth manages to stay on the diamond as well.

"Elsworth, Sherry, you shouldn't mess with them!" Yusei warns.

"I will not retreat," the butler replies.

Jakob shakes his head. "Fool! You, like so many of your kind, are blinded by your own arrogance. We try to guide you to the right path, but you resist! This resistance is what has caused one event that can no longer be avoided!"

"What event is that?" I demand.

"I'm talking about the work of your father, Yusei and Sky," Jakob replies. "Ener-D is not as good as you seem to think it is. We tried stopping it; even stooping as low as influencing Roman's efforts, but it was pointless! Even after Zero Reverse occurred, it still existed. So we came up with a new plan—erase Neo Domino City from existence!"

'_Is that what the Ghosts were for?'_ I think. _'But… Why are these guys so bent on destroying Neo Domino? And what future are they trying to prevent?'_

"By erasing Neo Domino, we can get rid of the origin of Ener-D," Lester explains. "That in itself will stop that future." He looks at me, and then Yusei. "Hmm. It seems your curses still exist here."

"What's that—" I begin.

Sherry interrupts, "That will not happen!" She runs at Jakob and jumps, ready to kick the man.

Jakob catches her by her shirt collar. "You've attacked me twice now," he points out. "Just how should I punish you this time?"

"Ngh, you won't get rid of me that easily!" Sheri wraps her legs around Jakob's arm, giving her better leverage against the man.

"Is there no end to your foolishness? Why don't you join your parents?" Jakob asks, throwing Sherry off of his arm and plummeting towards the ocean.

I run back to my Duel Runner, ready to play one of my dragons to catch her, but Elsworth jumps off, catches Sherry, and a parachute deploys from his Duel Disk. _'Well, they're safe, at least.'_

"Go ahead and try to destroy the City," Yusei says. "We'll stop you!"

Jakob says nothing for a few moments. Then, he says, "Then you will have to stop us in the WRGP. Team 5D's or even Team Cosmos; you will both have to keep winning in order to challenge us." He stops and looks at the sky. "It seems my tablet has finally arrived."

Everyone looks up, and there is a meteor heading straight for us. It's too late to run, though, so we all close our eyes and wait for the inevitable. But Jakob, he stops the tablet from falling somehow. It shatters as a Deck appears in his hand. Then, a green light that apparently works as a Duel Disk comes out from his chest. He places five cards on it, and a giant orange robot, not unlike the other two _Meklord Emperors_, appears. "Meet _Meklord Emperor Granel,_" Jakob explains.

"Another one?" I mutter.

"The future will be decided in the WRGP. Until then," Jakob says, stepping into a white light on the top of the monument. Lester follows him.

**XXX**

This is it. After a month of waiting for the Combat Lanes and the rest of the City to be repaired, the actual WRGP started up. Actually, it started yesterday, with Team 5D's Dueling Team Ragnarok. It was a close Duel, but Yusei managed to win. Today, it's my team's Duel against a team known as Arcadia. This, of course, set bad memories in all of our heads and one member of the team isn't even known yet. But it does seem that this team has Psychic Duelists, because Flinch is on it.

"Sydney, you mind going first?" I ask.

"Not at all," my friend replies. She gets on her wolf-like Duel Runner and heads to the starting line. There, Flinch joins her. They start, and Sydney takes the corner first.

**Flinch's Life Points: 4000, Sydney's Life Points: 4000; Flinch S.C. 1, Sydney S.C. 1**

"You'll see why I'm not a Duelist to be messed with," Sydney says. "I Summon _White Fang_ to my field in Attack Mode! And like most wolves, mine like to hunt in packs, so because I Summoned _White Fang_, I can Special Summon _Black Fang_ to join her!"

**White Fang ATK: 800, DEF: 500, Level 3; Black Fang ATK: 2000, DEF: 1600, Level 4**

A female wolf with silver-white fur appears, and she is joined by a larger wolf, this time male, with black fur. Both wolves have green eyes.

"Oh yeah, since I control _Black Fang_, _White Fang's_ Attack Points are doubled," Sydney continues.

**White Fang ATK: 800 to 1600**

"I'll set two cards face-down and end my turn."

"My move!" Flinch declares.

**Flinch S.C. 2, Sydney S.C. 2**

Flinch looks at his hand. "I'll start by activating a Speed Spell, _Soul Swap (?)_! This lets me use one of your monsters as Tribute for a Tribute Summon this turn if I give up two Speed Counters and my Battle Phase. I'll use your _Black Fang_ to Summon _Overdrive Teleporter_!"

**Flinch S.C. 0; Overdrive Teleporter ATK: 2100, DEF: 1200, Level 6**

A man with purple hair and a light blue robe appears, glowing orbs in each hand.

"When _Overdrive Teleporter_ is Summoned, I can pay 2000 Life Points to Special Summon two Level 3 Psychic-Type monsters from my Deck. So, say hello to _Psychic Commander_ and _Telekinetic Guard_!" he continued.

**Flinch's Life Points: 2000; Psychic Commander ATK: 1400, DEF: 800, Level 3; Telekinetic Guard ATK: 0, DEF: 2000, Level 3**

"Oh, but they won't be staying long," Flinch says. "I Tune my Level 3 _Psychic Commander_ with my Level 3 _Telekinetic Guard! When telekinetic forces become twisted by darkness, the result is this fearsome creature! Synchro Summon! Inflict fear, Telekinetic Nightmare!"_

**Telekinetic Nightmare ATK: 2500, DEF: 1300, Level 6**

A dragon-like creature with dark green scales appears. It emits a strong purple aura.

"I'd show you what my monsters can do, but for now I have to end my turn with a face-down," he finishes.

"Hah, those monsters don't scare me," Sydney taunts and draws her card.

**Flinch S.C. 1, Sydney S.C. 3**

"Alright! I'm going to Summon the Tuner _Fang Caller_ in Attack Mode! And when he's Normal Summoned, I can bring back a Fang monster from my Graveyard. Come back, _Black Fang_!"

**Fang Caller ATK: 0, DEF: 0, Level 1**

A small child in a wolf costume appears, a rattle in his hand that has a full moon on it.

"_Fang Caller_, you're Tuning with Level 3 _White Fang_ and Level 4 _Black Fang! The moon shines down and the great wolf howls! Synchro Summon! Roar, Fang of Night!"_ Sydney chants.

**Fang of Night ATK: 2800, DEF: 2000, Level 8**

A tall man wearing black fur and the head of a wolf appears. In one hand is a small dagger shaped like a claw.

"_Fang of Night_, tear apart that _Overdrive Teleporter_! _Night Fury_!" Sydney orders.

The small dagger seemingly multiplies, and now the wolf-like man has five claws. They slice the man in the blue robe, and he shatters.

**Flinch's Life Points: 1300**

"That's the end of my turn," my friend says.

"Oh yeah? Well, it'll be your last!" Flinch says, anger laced in his voice. He draws his card.

**Flinch S.C. 2, Sydney S.C. 4**

"First off, I activate the effect of _Telekinetic Nightmare_! This lets me remove from play a Psychic-Type monster in my Graveyard, and he gains half the ATK that monster had. I'm choosing _Overdrive Teleporter_, obviously. Which means _Nightmare _gains 1050 ATK!" Flinch exclaims.

**Telekinetic Nightmare ATK: 3550**

"Now _Telekinetic Nightmare _will get rid of your _Fang of Night,_" Finch orders.

As the dragon-like creature shoots a burst of energy at Sydney's monster, I press the button that starts the com-link. "Sydney, brace yourself. Flinch is a Psychic Duelist."

"I know," Sydney replies.

I end the communication as the attack hits my friend. Her Duel Runner spirals out of control, but she gets back on track.

**Sydney's Life Points: 3250**

Sydney glares at Flinch. "You said that this would be my last turn. Well, I still have Life Points."

"Not for much longer," Flinch replies. "I activate my Quick-Play _Speed Spell-De-Synchro_! This returns _Telekinetic Nightmare _to my Deck and Summon his Synchro Material from my Graveyard in return!"

The guy on a battleship appears, as does a green-robed creature.

"_Psychic Commander_ attacks you directly!"

The gun on the front of the hovercraft shoots a burst of green energy at Sydney. It hits her, and I can hear her grunt of pain.

**Sydney's Life Points: 1850**

"I… I still have Life Points!" my friend says through gritted teeth.

"Not after I activate my Trap _Urgent Tuning_, which lets me Synchro Summon during the Battle Phase." The Psychic grins as his dragon reappears. "_Telekinetic Nightmare, _end this! Attack with _Psychic Terror_!"

The burst of energy from the creature now hits Sydney. Like last time, her Duel Runner loses control. Unlike last time, it decides that it can fly… or not. It looks like Sydney is going to become a sandwich between the pavement and her Runner, but she manages to put the Runner upright again.

**Sydney's Life Points: 0**

"Look at that, folks! Team Cosmos has already lost its first Duelist!" MC shouts across the stadium. "Will their next Duelist be able to turn things around?"

"Ugh, I wish he would stop," I say as I will myself not to facepalm.

"Yeah, he _is_ kind of annoying," Shoshan agrees.

At this, Sydney pulls into the pit. She throws her cards onto Shoshan's Duel Runner and passes over our team sticker. "Shoshan, you better beat the crap out of this guy."

"No problem!" he replies, starting up his Duel Runner and joining Flinch on the track.

**Shoshan's Life Points: 4000**

"Hey Flinch, just because you already have a field advantage doesn't mean you're going to beat me," Shoshan says. "It's my turn, I draw!"

**Flinch S.C. 3, Shoshan S.C. 5**

"I'll start by Summoning _Charmander_ to the field in Defense Mode. Then I'll set a card face-down and end my turn," Shoshan says.

**Charmander ATK: 1000, DEF: 1000, Level 2**

A red lizard, standing on his hind legs, appears next to Shoshan. The tip of his tail has a small flame on it. The lizard crouches down and turns blue.

"I would hardly call that a turnaround," Flinch says, drawing his card.

**Flinch S.C. 4, Shoshan S.C. 6**

"Hah! I'll activate _Telekinetic Nightmare's_ ability once more, banishing _Psychic Commander_ to give him 700 more ATK."

**Telekinetic Nightmare ATK: 2500 to 3200**

"_Telekinetic Nightmare,_ obliterate _Charmander_!" Flinch shouts, pointing at the lizard.

The lizard takes the hit of the green blast, but stays on the field.

"Sorry, but _Charmander_ can survive destruction in battle once per turn," Shoshan explains.

"Fine, but can your lizard survive a card effect? When a Telekinetic monster fails to destroy a monster in battle, I can discard _Telekinetic Fairy_ to destroy that monster," Flinch counters.

_Charmander_ shatters after he takes the hit from a second blast of energy.

"That's all for now," Flinch finishes.

"My turn!" Shoshan draws his card.

**Flinch S.C. 5, Shoshan S.C. 7**

"Look, you might think that you have the field advantage, and you do. But by destroying _Charmander_, you've fallen for my trap," Shoshan says. "Sydney left three EARTH-Attributed monsters in the Graveyard. Right now, I remove from play two of them, _White Fang_, _Fang Caller_, and my FIRE-Attributed monster, _Charmander_ in order for the Special Summon of… _Groudon, Lord of the Earth_!"

**Groudon, Lord of the Earth ATK: 3500, DEF: 2500, Level 10**

A giant dinosaur-like creature appears next to Shoshan. He has red skin, almost like segmented armor, covering everywhere except for his underbelly, which is gray. The breaks in the plates reveal glowing blue lines. White spikes run along the side of his head, body, and tail. All in all, the creature slightly reminds me of the _Rayquaza, Lord of the Sky_ that he used in our Duel a few months ago.

"If you think you're keeping the advantage for much longer, then think again! Once per turn, _Groudon_ can permanently negate one of your monster's abilities," Shoshan says.

_Groudon_ roars and _Telekinetic Nightmare_ loses his aura.

**Telekinetic Nightmare ATK: 3200 to 2500**

Shoshan's regained the field, then. I hope he can keep the advantage in our favor. This team doesn't seem like one to mess with…

**To be continued…**

Me: That's where I'm ending this.

Sky: But… But you skipped the parts with the trip to Nazca, the Momentum Express Agency, and the Duel between Team 5Ds and Team Taiyo!

Me: Never was going to get you involved with the Nazca trip, no idea how to work the Momentum Express Agency, and for the sake of the tournament logistics, I have to pretend that Team Taiyo didn't Duel Team 5Ds.

Sydney: Hmph.

Me: I'm sorry, you can't win _every_ Duel.

Sydney: You made me lose in two turns. _Two freaking turns!_

Me: That's how Rudolph, Joseph, and Lucy wanted it. Therefore, it happened.

Sydney: But you gave Shoshan a f***ing Groudon!

Me: Language, Sydney. And about the Groudon, well, I decided it fit the best there. Shoshan's Deck is easier to use than yours, since I have all of its cards and their effects planned out already.

Sydney: *Grumbles*

UM: Hey, I just thought of something else that will annoy you.

Me: ...And that is?

UM: *Whispers something in my ear*

Me: *Eyes widen, jaw drops* How the… Why the… Where the heck did that come from?

UM: Well, you told me about the whole apocalyptic future in Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds… and that the only survivors are guys… and they become robots…

Sky: What did she say?

Me: You don't want to know. *Shivers* Alright, with Marching Band season over *cries on the inside a little* I might have more time to work on this and my other Fanfictions. Reviews are what I use to motivate my muses and myself to write. So, if you're enjoying my story, would you please leave a review? My muses are open to ideas as well… Oh, and I'd love to hear who you think is the last member of Team Arcadia. Thanks for reading, and I'll try to update soon!


	46. Chapter 46: Psychic Showdown

Me: Well, it hasn't been a full month since the last update. Of course, this chapter is a little bit shorter than some previous ones…

Sky: Shorter? Why would you need it shorter?

Me: I had the _perfect_ place to end this chapter, but it only has about 3000 words before it. Most of the recent chapters have had 4000 words.

Sky: By perfect, you mean cliffhanger, don't you?

Meri: Definitely! I just love the bad guys…

Me: Yeah, you definitely do.

Sky: Explain.

Me: Okay, Meri's never seen Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds, she's only heard about it from my fanfictions. So far, her favorite character is Carly, but she supports the Dark Signers in Rewind, and I told her my idea about the ending of this story and now she wants Z-ONE and his partners to win.

Sky: Great, you have an endgame…

Me: Eh, it's pretty good. It's also evil at the same time, which is why I can't wait to finish the WRGP. *Pouts a little* One of my muses came up with a mini-arc to interrupt it though, so it'll be a little while before I get to that and then the end of the WRGP. Before I get too carried away, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds or Pokemon, but I do own my OCs, their Decks, and like three of the cards the second Duelist for Team Arcadia uses.

Chapter 46

"_Groudon_, show this guy what happens when you mess with Team Cosmos!" Shoshan shouts. "Attack _Telekinetic Nightmare_ with _Land Eruption_!"

The red dinosaur roars again, the blue lines glowing brighter, and the Combat Lane seems to shake as pillars of earth rise from it, striking _Telekinetic Nightmare_ and shattering it.

**Flinch's Life Points: 300**

"When I successfully destroy a monster in battle, I can Special Summon _Zorua_ from my hand," Shoshan continues.

**Zorua ATK: 1300, DEF: 1000, Level 3**

A small dark-gray fox with red feet and a red tuft on her head appears. The fox has blue-green eyes, and what looks like a black scarf wrapped around her neck.

"_Zorua_, attack him directly! _Night Daze_!"

The small creature gathers a sphere of blue light in his hands and blasts it at Flinch.

The Duelist snarls as his Runner wavers a little. "Wait 'till you see our next member, Kasai! He'll wipe the floor with you, you'll see."

**Flinch's Life Points: 0**

The dark-green Runner and Flinch returns to his team's pit, and out of the other side shoots someone in leather clothing and riding a bright orange Duel Runner shaped like flames. This must be Kasai. The new Duelist grins at Shoshan. "I hope you don't plan on winning, because that's what I plan to do! By tournament rules, your turn is now over which means… It's my move!"

**Kasai's Life Points: 4000; Kasai S.C. 6, Shoshan S.C. 8 **

"First I Summon _Flamvell Firedog_ to the field in Attack Mode! Then, because I have a Flamvell monster and you have less than three cards in your Graveyard, I can Special Summon the Tuner _Neo Flamvell Origin_ to join _Firedog_!" Kasai begins.

**Flamvell Firedog ATK: 1900, DEF: 200, Level 4; Neo Flamvell Origin ATK: 500, DEF: 200, Level 2**

A dog made out of earth with fire seeping through the cracks appears, as does a small monster made entirely out of flames—the top flame being blue, and the bottom being a normal red-orange mix.

He continues, "Then I'll activate the _Class Change _Trap card left by Flinch! This increases the Level of one of my monsters by one."

**Flamvell Firedog Level 5**

"I'll then activate my _Speed Spell-Card Destruction_! By paying 5 Speed Counters, this card makes both of us discard our hands and draw the same number of them in their place."

**Kasai S.C. 1**

Both Duelists discard their hands and draw again. But Kasai seems to not be satisfied with the Deck destruction, because he adds, "Now I activate the ability of _Neo Flamvell Ward_ in my Graveyard—since he was sent from my hand to the Graveyard due to a card effect, you have to mill the top two cards of your Deck and draw three as well."

'_This seems to be turning out just like the Duel Yusei's team had with Team Unicorn,'_ I think. _'No, there has to be something else in play. No one would Summon those monsters in Attack Mode when a monster like _Groudon_ is opposing them… Oh wait, _Neo Flamvell Origin_ is a Tuner.'_

"Enough cards have gathered! I Tune my Level 2 _Neo Flamvell Origin_ with my Level 5 _Flamvell Firedog! Long-extinguished flames will reignite here and blaze to victory! Synchro Summon! Burn everything away, Ancient Flamvell Deity_!" the red-haired Duelist chants.

**Ancient Flamvell Deity ATK: 2500, DEF: 200, Level 7**

A monster in brown armor appears, surrounded in flames. There seems to be no end to the fire; it's just there.

"I was afraid of that," Escolar mutters from his seat next to me.

I turn, "What? What's wrong?"

"Um… Shoshan… Well, even though he uses FIRE monsters in his Deck… Shoshan is actually extremely afraid of fire. A Deck like Kasai is using… My brother might not function at his full abilities," Escolar replies.

I take a step back. "Since when is Shoshan afraid of fire?"

Escolar shrugs. "A long time. And the silly thing is, neither the two of us, our parents, or anyone we know have had a traumatic experience with fire. He just kind of… I dunno, started being scared of it."

"Interesting," is all I have to say. I press the button to start the com-link. "Shoshan, keep your head on straight and try to win, okay?"

"No… no problem," he replies.

With that, the conversation ends, and Kasai continues his turn. "Oh, _Ancient Flamvell Deity_ has a very helpful ability when he's Synchro Summoned—I can remove from play a number of cards in your Graveyard equal to the number of cards in your hand. Then he gains 200 ATK for each. Since you have six cards in your hand and six in the Graveyard, I'll banish them all!"

**Ancient Flamvell Deity ATK: 3700**

Something like this is what I was expecting. Now Kasai just barely has the upper hand against _Groudon_. If _Groudon_ gets destroyed, will Shoshan have another chance at victory? I hope so…

"_Ancient Flamvell Deity_, attack and destroy _Groudon, Lord of the Earth_! _Primal Flame_!"

The fire around the warrior intensifies, and most of it gathers in a large ball. The ball zooms away, striking the dinosaur. _Groudon_ explodes, and several small flames rain down on Shoshan. Each time the flame hits, Shoshan flinches.

**Shoshan's Life Points: 3800**

"I end my turn," Kasai finishes smugly.

"It's… my turn!" Shoshan draws his card.

**Kasai S.C. 2, Shoshan S.C. 9**

Shoshan looks at his hand for the longest amount of time. "Okay, I'm Summoning _Mesprit, Being of Emotion_ in Defense Mode. Then, I'll release _Zorua_ to Special Summon _Zoroark, Master of Illusions_ in Defense as well."

**Mesprit, Being of Emotion ATK: 1500, DEF: 1500, Level 3; Zoroark, Master of Illusions ATK: 2100, DEF: 1500, Level 5**

The first monster is small, with a blue-gray body and four appendages covering her head. Her two tails have red gems in the center of them. The second is a black fox standing on her hind legs, the fur on the back of her head being red. She seems like a stronger version of the _Zorua_ that just left the field.

"I'll place one card face-down and end my turn."

The red-haired Duelist laughs. "Those monsters don't stand a chance against mine!" He draws his card.

**Kasai S.C. 3, Shoshan S.C. 10**

"Okay, I Summon _Flamvell Grunika_ in Attack Mode!"

**Flamvell Grunika ATK: 1700, DEF: 200, Level 4**

"Then _Grunika_ will attack your _Zoroark, Master of Illusions_!" Kasai orders.

Shoshan grins. "You know, _Zoroark_ is called the 'master of illusions' for a reason. You can't select her as an attack target! And want to know what makes this even better? _Mesprit, Being of Willpower_ can't be destroyed in battle."

Kasai huffs in annoyance. "Well, you can't stall forever. I end my turn with two face-downs."

"My Turn!" Shoshan draws his card.

**Kasai S.C. 4, Shoshan S.C. 11**

"I… I'll activate the effect of _Speed World 2_! By removing 10 Speed Counters, I can destroy one card on the field! I choose _Ancient Flamvell Deity_!" Shoshan points at the monster in question.

"I don't think so," Kasai snarls, "I counter with the Quick-Play _Speed Spell-Speed Force_! Because I have 4 Speed Counters, this card prevents the destruction of all my monsters by card effect until my next Standby Phase."

**Shoshan S.C. 1**

'_He was so close to regaining the field advantage,'_ I think. But I know Shoshan—he's not going to let something like this slow him down.

"I Summon _Giratina, Ruler of the Reverse_ in Defense Mode," Shoshan says. "Since it was a Normal Summon, _Giratina's_ ability lets me Special Summon one of a select few cards, and I'm choosing _Dialga, Ruler of Time._"

**Giratina, Ruler of the Reverse ATK: 2100, DEF: 2100, Level 4; Dialga, Ruler of Time ATK: 1500, DEF: 2000, Level 4**

_Giratina_ is a large gray monster with black wings that each have three red spikes on them. Golden bands adorn his head, torso, and each of his six legs. _Dialga_ is a dinosaur-like monster with a dark blue body and silver metallic parts everywhere. A diamond rests at the center of his chest, and a strange fin-like structure rests on his back.

"That ends my turn."

"Hmph, it's my turn!" Kasai declares.

**Kasai S.C. 5, Shoshan S.C. 2**

"I Summon another _Neo Flamvell Origin,_ and Tune with my Level 4 _Flamvell Grunika_! I Synchro Summon… _Flamvell Uruquizas!_!"

**Flamvell Uruquizas ATK: 2100, DEF: 400, Level 6**

Kasai laughs a little. "Your monsters might be in Defense Mode, but it doesn't matter! _Flamvell Uruquizas_ can inflict piercing damage!"

"Is that supposed to scare me?" Shoshan asks. "First off, I activate my Trap _Spacial Force!_ This card forces a monster back into the owner's Deck when it is Special Summoned, so your _Uruquizas_ is useless. Then, I can Special Summon _Palkia, Ruler of Space_ from my Deck."

**Palkia, Ruler of Space ATK: 2000, DEF: 1500, Level 4**

The fire-man disappears, and yet another dinosaur-like monster appears, this time with a light-purple body, darker lines, and pearls set in each shoulder. A long white crest extends from his head down to his back.

"Secondly, _Dialga, Ruler of Time's_ effect comes into play now," the blonde continues. "Because _Dialga_ was Summoned by the effect of _Giratina_, your Battle Phase is skipped."

"What? That card shouldn't be allowed!" Kasai exclaims.

Next to me, Escolar snorts. "If he thinks that effect is overpowered, wait until he sees Shoshan's next card. I bet he has that Trap, and the requirements for its activation have just been met."

"What kind of card?" I ask.

"One that takes at least seventeen hits to bring it down," Escolar replies.

My eyes widen. A card that powerful? I wonder why I didn't know about it in the first place.

"Kasai, your field advantage just ended!" Shoshan shouts. "I activate my Trap _Azure Flute_! I have to remove from play my _Dialga, Palkia, _and _Giratina_, and then I can Special Summon… _Arceus the Original One!_"

**Arceus the Original One ATK: 4000, DEF: 4000, Level 12**

The new monster has a white body, with a dark-gray underside and a yellow ring around his rear. His eyes are green, but the pupils are red, with green spots under each eye.

"Wow," I say in awe.

"Tch… I switch _Ancient Flamvell Deity _into Defense Mode and end my turn with a face-down…" Kasai says.

"My move!" Shoshan says with joy.

**Kasai S.C. 6, Shoshan S.C. 3**

"I switch _Zoroark, Master of Illusions_ into Attack Mode so that she can destroy your _Ancient Flamvell Deity_ with _Mirage Daze_!" Shoshan shouts.

"I counter with _Mirror Force_!" Kasai says, smirking. "That means your _Zoroark_ and your _Arceus_ fade to ashes because they're both in Attack Mode!"

The tall fox starts to run forward, one hand wrapped in shadows, and a silver barrier separates her from the defending monster. She hits the barrier and shatters, the pieces shooting towards _Arceus_. But what surprises everyone watching is that a ring of plates appears around the beast. One of them vanishes, and the yellow ring turns brownish-orange for a moment. _Arceus_ roars, and the shards bounce off him harmlessly. The plates vanish and the ring returns to yellow.

**Arceus ATK: 3200**

"Oh, I forgot to mention that _Arceus the Original One_ can survive any card effect that would remove him from the field by reducing his Attack or Defense Points by 800 as long as it alternates which is decreased each time," Shoshan explains. "Which means… _Arceus,_ deal out your wrath with _Judgement_!"

A sphere of light appears in the sky, and it explodes, raining down in shards like meteors. Several of them slam into the fiery monster, and _Ancient Flamvell Deity_ vanishes.

"I set one card face-down and end my turn," Shoshan finishes.

Kasai clenches his fist. "Your monster has to have a weakness, and I'll find it! It's my turn, I draw!"

**Kasai S.C. 7, Shoshan S.C. 4**

"Hah! I activate my face-down Trap, _Call of the Haunted_! This revives my _Ancient Flamvell Deity_! Then, I Normal Summon the Tuner _Flamvell Archer_!"

**Flamvell Archer ATK: 1000, DEF: 200, Level 3**

"I Tune my Level 3 _Flamvell Archer_ with my Level 7 _Ancient Flamvell Deity_! _The fires of rage set in and ignite, burning away everything that stands in its way! Synchro Summon! Burn, Ancient Flamvell Wyvern_!"

**Ancient Flamvell Wyvern ATK: 3200, DEF: 200, Level 10**

The fiery beast that appears has one set of wings, claws on each, and a hook at the end of its tail. The whole creature has a golden-orange body.

"You want to know why I'm happy even though our monsters have the same ATK?" Kasai asks. "Well, _Ancient Flamvell Wyvern_ can't be destroyed in battle with a monster that has the same ATK that it does. And, when it fails to destroy a monster in battle, it can attack once extra time. So, your _Arceus_ will survive both attacks, but it'll be losing 800 ATK and DEF in the process!"

The wyvern's tail wraps in flames and whips at _Arceus_ twice, but the ring of plates protects _Arceus_ each time.

**Arceus ATK: 2400, DEF: 3200**

"I'll end my turn with a face-down."

Shoshan draws his card without saying anything.

**Kasai S.C. 8, Shoshan S.C. 5**

"I… I switch _Arceus the Original One_ into Defense Mode and end my turn."

The red-head smirks. "Not so tough now, huh? It's my turn, I draw!"

**Kasai S.C. 9, Shoshan S.C. 6**

"If only I had one more Speed Counter," he muses. "Oh well, it doesn't matter. I activate my _Speed Spell-Ancient Flames_! By giving up eight Speed Counters, this card lets one monster with 'Ancient Flamvell' in its name gain 400 ATK and the ability to inflict piercing damage this round."

**Kasai S.C. 1; Ancient Flamvell Wyvern ATK: 3600**

'_Crap, with that Spell and _Wyvern's_ ability, Shoshan could lose this turn. Unless Kasai doesn't want me controlling _Arceus_ when I go in...'_

"_Ancient Flamvell Wyvern_, attack _Mesprit, Being of Emotion_! Then, with your effect, attack a second time but target _Arceus the Original One_!"

Both of Shoshan's monsters take hits from the wyvern's fiery tail, and the flames hit my friend as well. He stiffens up quite a bit.

**Shoshan's Life Points: 1300; Arceus the Original One DEF: 2400**

Kasai keeps the stupid smirk on his face. "Looks like that's the end of my turn."

"I don't like fire," Shoshan says, but it doesn't sound like him. It sounds almost monotone, like he's being possessed or something. "Fire is bad, fire is too… light. It's my turn."

**Kasai S.C. 2, Shoshan S.C. 7**

A strong feeling rises in my gut, and a chill runs up my spine. _'Something wrong, Reshiram?'_ I think.

'_Yes! Yes, everything is wrong! It's nowhere near the proper time, and Kyurem is supposed to be on my side!'_

'_What's that supposed to mean?'_

'_Watch!'_

I turn my attention back to the Duel. Shoshan presses his hand to one of his face-downs. "I activate my Trap _Boundaries Crossed_! By banishing _Kyurem the Boundary Breaker_ and one other card from my Extra Deck, in this case _Zekrom, God of Darkness,_ I can Special Summon a Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck that requires those two cards as Fusion Material. Unfortunately, the Fusion monster only stays for one turn, but… Come, _Black Kyurem_!"

**Black Kyurem ATK: 3000, DEF: 3000, Level 12**

A dragon, half encased in ice, appears next to Shoshan. The part that isn't encased in ice is either black or gray. The creature's eyes are yellow.

"Oh, I thank you for the combo that banished all of those cards. _Black Kyurem_ gains 500 ATK and DEF for all cards that have been removed from play. There are sixteen," Shoshan says.

"What?" Kasai asks incredulously.

**Black Kyurem ATK/DEF: 11000**

I stare at the black ice-dragon in horror. That thing is _extremely_ overpowered, and if Reshiram's reaction to it is enough to go by, it's something evil.

"_Black Kyurem_, show that pathetic attempt of an opponent the way to the Graveyard! Vanquish _Ancient Flamvell Wyvern_ with _Shock Freeze_!"

The half dragon, half ice creature roars, and a giant ball of ice appears in front of it, electricity running under the surface. The ball shatters, and the pieces and the lightning hit _Ancient Flamvell Wyvern_ at full force. Kasai screams with the impact.

**Kasai's Life Points: 0**

The red-head makes it to his team's pit, and Shoshan pulls into ours. He's shaking violently, and _Black Kyurem_ isn't on the field. Shoshan's green eyes lock with mine—they're filled with fear.

"Shoshan, calm down!" Escolar says.

"I c-can't, I can't stop sh-shaking."

I know he still has Life Points left, and I really want to know where _Black Kyurem_ came from, but if someone doesn't go out there, we'll be disqualified. "Shoshan, you need to be seen by a doctor. I'll finish the Duel, you just focus on getting better, alright?"

"O-Okay," he replies.

I get on my Duel Runner after taking all of the cards from Shoshan. I take a deep breath in, and zoom out of the pit onto the track.

**Sky's Life Points: 4000**

"Look at this! It seems that Team Cosmos' second member can't Duel after that powerful finish! Sky Fudo, their last member, has taken over. She won't be getting the leftover Life Points, however. Now the big question is, who is her opponent?"

The member of the other team is already in front of me on a highly customized green Duel Runner that has a full-on skeleton design on it. The rider of the Duel Runner has a grin on his face. "Well, I bet you didn't think you'd be seeing me again, did you Fudo?" he asks.

Another chill runs up my spine—I recognize his voice.

**Sayer's Life Points: 4000**

**To be continued…**

Me: Oh yeah, I just went there.

Sky: You brought back Sayer?!

Shoshan: And made me have a panic attack?

Lucy: My ideas! We had to work Zekrom into here _somehow_, even though the real fight with him isn't until the sequel to Blue Sky…

Me: Lucy! We were trying to keep Zekrom a secret until then!

Lucy: Well at least I didn't spoil that his partner is Yv—

Me: *Clamps hands over Lucy's mouth* Nope, no spoilers. Sorry Lucy.

Lucy: *Incomprehensible muttering*

Me: Alrighty then, I'm just going to ask for reviews! Speaking of them, last week Thursday, I think it was, I came home from school and hoped that there were some new ones. I look at it, and the number of reviews this story has is now _120_! I owe a gigantic amount of thanks to iloveyugiohgx93 for going back and reviewing each chapter individually, even if they just said "I will wait for chapter" and then whatever the next chapter number was. This person doesn't allow PMs, so that's why my thanks is being put on here.

Sky: Wasn't your goal for this story to get 100 reviews?

Me: Yeah! I was going to say that in a couple of chapters, but now… Well… I guess my goal is 150 instead? I don't know. Review, please!


	47. Chapter 47: Assault Mode

Me: …Retalya!

Meri: Kotalya!

Me: No, Retalya! End of discussion.

Meri: Ko-

Me: Finish that word and I will gag you and throw you in the Closet of Doom with Lucy.

Meri: Hmph. Well, at least we agree on Gay.

Sky: Okay, what did I miss?

Me: We have a friend that is writing a story for NaNoWriMo. The main female protagonist is named Natalya, and there are two guys, Koda and Reed. I ship Reed and Natalya, while Meri ships Koda and Natalya. As for the Gay part, one of the other female protagonists is named Gwen, and there's this guy named Jay. Meri's the one that named the name blend, so… yeah. Anyways, I'm updating Blue Sky!

Sky: Oh, good. You left us at a cliffhanger.

Me: Ehe, the end of this chapter isn't much better.

Sky: Should I be scared?

Me: No, but Crow should. I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds, but I do own my OCs and a lot of the cards in their Decks.

Chapter 47

"Sayer? What the heck are you doing here?" I demand.

He laughs. "Oh, you'll find out soon enough. For now, it's my turn, so I draw!"

**Sayer S.C. 3, Sky S.C. 8**

"I Summon _Krebons_ to the field in Attack Mode and set three cards face-down. That ends my turn."

**Krebons ATK: 1200, DEF: 400, Level 2**

A robotic jester in a strange blue and gold outfit appears.

'_Those face-downs might mean trouble,'_ I think. "My turn!"

**Sayer S.C. 4, Sky S.C. 9**

"I activate one of the face-downs left by Sydney, the _Speed Spell-Double Summon_! I'll use its effect to Summon _Celestial Knight-Venus_ and the Tuner _Celestial Synchron_!" I say.

**Celestial Knight-Venus ATK: 1700, DEF: 1000, Level 4; Celestial Synchron ATK: 700, DEF: 1800, Level 3**

"I Tune my Level 3 _Celestial Synchron_ with my Level 4 _Celestial Knight-Venus! When night comes to a close, a lone light rises to expel the darkness! Synchro Summon! Arise, Celestial Dragon-Sol!_" I chant.

**Celestial Dragon-Sol ATK: 2700, DEF: 1500, Level 7**

My golden-orange dragon appears, and Sayer laughs. _'Why would he laugh?'_ I think. "I activate _Celestial Dragon-Sol's_ ability, so by banishing my _Celestial Knight-Venus_ I can destroy your _Krebons_."

"I was hoping you would do that," Sayer says. "I activate two Continuous Traps, _Psy-Zone_ and _Psychic Barrier_. _Psy-Zone_ makes all Psychic-Type Tuner monsters get removed from play instead of going to the Graveyard. _Psychic Barrier_ prevents you from inflicting damage to me during a turn a Psychic-Type monster is destroyed."

My orange dragon still shatters the robotic jester with a powerful ray of light. "I don't know what you're planning, but for now I set two cards face-down and end my turn," I say.

"My turn!" Sayer declares.

**Sayer S.C. 5, Sky S.C. 10**

"I'll start by Summoning _Hushed Psychic Cleric_ to the field in Defense Mode," Sayer says.

**Hushed Psychic Cleric ATK: 0, DEF: 2100, Level 3**

A person in purple, white, and golden robes appears, holding a staff with similar white and gold coloring. The staff has a pale blue orb set at the end. The person bends down and turns blue.

"Now, for my combo," Sayer says. "I activate _Hushed Psychic Cleric's_ ability! By discarding a card from my hand, I can banish a Psychic-Type monster like _Telekinetic Nightmare_ from my Graveyard. This lets me activate my _Speed Spell-Psychic Feel Zone_! Because I have 5 Speed Counters, I can return two removed from play Psychic-Type monsters to my Graveyard, as long as one is a Tuner and the other isn't. Then I can Summon a Synchro Monster that equals their combined Levels, as long as it is in Defense Mode."

'_What monster is he trying to Summon?'_ I think. _'Oh wait, if _Krebons_ is Level 2 and _Telekinetic Nightmare _is Level 6, then he can Summon the monster Akiza told me was his ace…'_

"_Surge, my black mist of vengeance! Synchro Summon! Come, Thought Ruler Archfiend_!" he chants.

**Thought Ruler Archfiend ATK: 2700, DEF: 2300, Level 8**

A green, demonic-like dragon appears. Its armor is either gold plating, or what looks oddly like a skeleton in some places. A skull covers the monster's face. The creature's wings are lined with the gold plating along the edges. _Thought Ruler Archfiend_ roars once, and then curls its wings close, kneels down, and turns into blue shading instead.

"I place one card face-down. That ends my turn," Sayer says smugly.

'_He seems so confident that he has the upper hand, yet our monsters have the same ATK and his is in Defense Mode. Not much of an upper hand, unless his face-down is a Trap...'_ "It's my turn!"

**Sayer S.C. 6, Sky S.C. 11**

'_Hmm, I could use _Speed World 2 _or even the _Speed Spell-Mystical Space Typhoon _I just drew if I want to save my Speed Counters…'_ I decide on the best course of action. "I activate my _Speed Spell-Mystical Space Typhoon_! By removing 2 Speed Counters, I can destroy your… _Psychic Barrier_."

**Sky S.C. 9**

A whirlwind starts, and it tears apart his Trap. _'I'd destroy his other face-down with _Sol_, but then I wouldn't have ammo if a more powerful card comes into play. I'll have to wait and see…'_ I think. "I Summon _Celestial Comet_ in Defense Mode!"

**Celestial Comet ATK: 0, DEF: 1000, Level 2**

A half ice, half rock creature with two dots like eyes at the front appears. "_Celestial Dragon-Sol_, go ahead and attack _Thought Ruler Archfiend_! _Solar Flare Blast_!"

A powerful blast of fire shoots out of _Sol_ and barrels towards _Thought Ruler Archfiend_. The skeleton-covered dragon shatters, but Sayer grins. "Now that you've destroyed _Thought Ruler Archfiend, _I can activate my Trap _Telepathic Power_! Because you destroyed a Psychic-Type monster in battle, this Trap destroys the monster that attacked and I gain Life Points equal to its ATK."

"Not so fast, _Celestial Comet's_ ability activates," I counter. "When a Celestial monster would be destroyed, _Celestial Comet_ reverts the effect to destroy it instead."

Instead of my golden-orange dragon taking the blast, the ice-rock floats in front of him and shatters.

"That's all I have for now," I say.

"My turn," Sayer says, drawing his card.

**Sayer S.C. 7, Sky S.C. 10**

"I activate the effect of _Speed World 2_, so by removing 7 Speed Counters I can draw one card," he begins.

**Sayer S.C. 0**

He falls behind me now, but continues, "Now I Summon the Tuner _Telekinetic Wizard_! Now, _Telekinetic Wizard_ is a rather unique Tuner—when used in a Synchro Summon, the Synchro Monster must be in my Graveyard, and the Synchro Monster also gains 300 ATK/DEF!"

**Telekinetic Wizard ATK: 200, DEF: 1300, Level 4**

"I activate my Trap _Class Change_ Trap, increasing the Level of my _Hushed Psychic Cleric_ by one. Now I can Tune my Level 4 _Telekinetic Wizard_ with my Level 4 _Hushed Psychic Cleric_! Return to the field, _Thought Ruler Archfiend_!"

**Thought Ruler Archfiend ATK: 2700 to 3000, DEF: 2300 to 2600**

The skeleton-covered dragon returns, but I have a feeling Sayer isn't done yet. Sure enough, he keeps smiling. "_Thought Ruler Archfiend_, attack _Celestial Dragon-Sol_!"

"I activate my Quick-Play _Speed Spell-Celestial Reflector_!" I counter. "Since I have three Speed Counters and a Celestial monster on the field, I can negate your attack."

"Not quite," Sayer says. "The effect of your card has to target _Thought Ruler Archfiend_ in order to work. That means I can use its effect! By paying 1000 Life Points, I can negate the effect of a Spell or Trap card that targets a Psychic-Type monster and destroy it."

"What?"

**Sayer's Life Points: 3000**

The green dragon glows and flaps its wings, sending a sonicwave that shatters my Speed Spell. Then the glow gathers around one of its claws, and the dragon tears apart my golden-orange one. But what throws me off is that the pieces of my dragon turn into a golden light and shoot at Sayer. The light doesn't hurt him—it helps him!

**Sky's Life Points: 3700; Sayer's Life Points: 5700**

"Ah, surprised at my Life Point gain? When _Thought Ruler Archfiend_ destroys a monster in battle, I gain Life Points equal to that monster's original ATK," Sayer explains.

'_That means I can't let him destroy any more of my monsters,'_ I think. _'A Life Point gain like that will put me at too much of a disadvantage.'_

"I set a card face-down and end my turn," he finishes.

"It's my turn, then!" I draw my card, look at it, and smile. _'Just what I needed.'_

**Sayer S.C. 1, Sky S.C. 11**

"I use the _Speed Spell-Monster Reborn_ that Sydney left for me! By paying 10 Speed Counters, I can bring back _Celestial Dragon-Sol_ from my Graveyard! Now I'll Normal Summon the Tuner _Celestial Archer_, but he won't be staying long. I Tune my Level 2 _Celestial Archer_ with my Level 7 _Celestial Dragon-Sol! The boundaries of light and darkness come together now… Being of Light, rise! Synchro Summon! Come out, Celestial Dragon-Chaos!"_ I chant

**Sky S.C. 1; Celestial Dragon-Chaos ATK: 3400, DEF: 2600, Level 9**

My dragon starts off with its right half being white and orange, and its left side being black and blue. A moment later, the white coloring and orange lines overtakes the darker half, leaving my six-winged dragon shining brightly.

"Now I activate _Celestial Dragon-Chaos'_ ability," I continue. "By removing from play a Celestial card in my Graveyard, I can destroy two cards you control. Since _Thought Ruler Archfiend_ only protects against Spells and Traps, I might as well choose it as the first target, and that face-down card of yours for the second! Go, _Solar Meteor_!"

Two balls of fire appear in the air above the cards being targeted. Sayer laughs, and I see him play the face-down card but I don't see what it is before a bright light covers my vision—even my aura-vision—and I have to close my eyes.

**XXX**

When I open my eyes, I have no idea where I am. Okay, I can see that I'm still riding my Duel Runner, and I'm on some sort of track with Sayer behind me, but the fact that the sky is purple and no one else is around is what puts the 'no idea' part into play. There aren't any type of stands around the track, either. It's just barren wasteland, stretching on for what seems like eternity.

I turn my attention back to the field and gasp. What seems to be a powered-up version of _Thought Ruler Archfiend_ is now on the field. It has more bones on it, is slightly larger, and boasts more claws on its hands and feet. It also has three horns at the top of its head. "What in the world is that?" I demand.

"This, my dear Fudo, is _Thought Ruler Archfiend/Assault Mode_," Sayer replies. "My face-down was _Assault Mode Activate_, which let me release _Thought Ruler Archfiend_ in order to Summon this as a replacement. Oh, and _Thought Ruler Archfiend/Assault Mode's_ strength is based on my Life Points."

**Thought Ruler Archfiend/Assault Mode ATK: 5700, DEF: 2000, Level 10**

I glare at the beast. Oh, I've heard of Assault Mode beasts before. They were upgrades to already OP cards. In fact, there are rumors about ones for _Stardust Dragon_ and _Red Dragon Archfiend_ haunting the black market… Either way, I'm in big trouble now. "That answers my first question," I say. "Now, where the heck are we?"

"This is where we will finish our Duel, only under much more riskier stakes," Sayer says. "I win, and you, Akiza, and those twins on your team, Shoshan and Escolar, have to join the Neo Arcadia Movement, no questions asked. You win, and I'll leave you alone and abandon my quest to get Akiza back."

"Like I would accept these terms!" I retort.

"Oh, it's not like you have a choice," Sayer replies. "This place is a dimension that I used _Thought Ruler Archfiend/Assault Mode_ to create. It's where I've sent the Psychic Duelists that just didn't make the cut to join the Arcadia Movement… or the ones that wouldn't obey me."

'Didn't make the cut' rings some bell in my memory. I recall a conversation I had with Akiza about the Arcadia Movement, I think it was right after the Dark Signer war. "Like… Like Toby Tredwell, right?" I ask. "I heard that he wanted to join the Movement, but you tortured him and he was never seen again!"

He nods, "Yes, that pathetic boy is wandering around here somewhere, if he's not already dead. You must remember, it's been about two years since I banished him here. Not many people live that long in this dimension."

I clench my fist, trying to restrain my powers from lashing out at the guy. "You know what? I have a counter-offer. If I win, you also have to let everyone in this dimension return home."

Sayer grins evilly, "Alright, it's a deal then."

"Just so you know, I don't plan on losing," I say. "I can't do much of anything else right now, so I end my turn."

"After a statement like that, I was really expecting more from you, Fudo," Sayer says. "It's my turn!"

**Sayer S.C. 2, Sky S.C. 2**

"The drawback to _Thought Ruler Archfiend/Assault Mode_ is that I'm not allowed to draw during the Draw Phase," Sayer says. "But its other effect more than makes up for it! It can't inflict damage in battle if it's with a monster, but when it destroys a monster in battle, you lose Life Points equal to half that monster's ATK, and I gain Life Points equal to half that monster's DEF."

The powered-up dragon glows an eerie green, and when it tears apart my dragon with its claws, it looks like it tore open a hole in the air as well, if only for a moment. Its claws continue towards me, and even though I brace myself it still hurts just as bad as the Shadow Duels I've been in.

**Sky's Life Points: 2000, Sayer's Life Points: 7000; Thought Ruler Archfiend/Assault Mode ATK: 7000**

"That's where I'll end my turn," he finishes.

"Then… It's my turn!" I draw my card.

**Sayer S.C. 3, Sky S.C. 3**

'_What am I supposed to do?'_ I think. _'If I Summon a monster, that means I'll still be losing Life Points _and_ he'll be gaining some, but if I don't Summon a monster I'll lose, since that creature can attack me directly perfectly fine.'_ I'll just have to stall… "I Summon _Celestial Knight-Mercury_ in Defense Mode and end my turn."

**Celestial Knight-Mercury ATK: 1500, DEF: 1000, Level 4**

A knight in bright red armor appears, a sword of similar color in his hands.

"Hah, you won't last more than a few turns with that," Sayer taunts. "It's my turn!"

**Sayer S.C. 4, Sky S.C. 4**

"_Thought Ruler Archfiend/Assault Mode_, attack _Celestial Knight-Mercury_!" he orders.

This time, the physical damage hurts more as my Life Points are lower. I almost lose control of my Duel Runner as well. Blood trickles down the side of my face; the attack broke the visor of my helmet and the glass must have scraped my face.

**Sky's Life Points: 1250, Sayer's Life Points: 7500; Thought Ruler Archfiend/Assault Mode ATK: 7500**

"My turn!" I draw my card, and my heart falls. I still can't get out of this lock.

**Sayer S.C. 5, Sky S.C. 5**

"I Summon _Celestial Knight-Saturn_ in Defense Mode and end my turn," I say, trying to mask my disappointment.

**Celestial Knight-Saturn ATK: 2000, DEF: 1000, Level 4**

"You should just give up!" Sayer says. "Even your pointless efforts are only prolonging your defeat. It's my turn!"

**Sayer S.C. 6, Sky S.C. 6**

"Once again, I'll be destroying your knight," Sayer says.

And once again, it hurts even more as the attack hits me. This time I actually do lose control of my Duel Runner, and I fall off, skidding along the ground. I stay on the ground.

**Sky's Life Points: 250, Sayer's Life Points: 8000; Thought Ruler Archfiend/Assault Mode ATK: 8000**

Sayer stops next to me and laughs. "And to think, I wanted _you_ to join me? You don't even know how to catch yourself with your powers!"

"Ngh…!" I grunt, trying to get off of the ground. But I can't, and even when I try to use a healing spell, that doesn't work either. _'Is it really pointless? Can I beat Sayer, or…'_

"Hey!" someone shouts. "I don't know who you are, but you need to get off the ground and beat Sayer!"

"Yeah!" a second voice, this time belonging to a girl, adds.

I try again, and manage to pull myself into a sitting position. I look over and near the opposite side of the track there's a group of about five people standing. I can't see them very clearly, though, so I can't tell who they are. But the fact that they must be the ones that Sayer trapped here boosts my morale, and I manage to push my Duel Runner back up and continue riding.

"Grr… I didn't think they'd try to interfere," Sayer says. "I end my turn."

'_Come on, Deck! Please don't fail me now!'_ I think. "It's my… turn!" I draw my card.

**Sayer S.C. 7, Sky S.C. 7**

I flip over the card and gasp. I don't know how, but the card I only saw partially when I watched the other world somehow ended up in my Deck, and I just drew it. _'Thanks Mom,'_ I think. "I Summon _Celestial Angel_ in Attack Mode!"

**Celestial Angel ATK: 100, DEF: 100, Level 1**

A young girl appears, wearing a white dress. Her wings are a similar white, as is her hair. She has a strong aura as well.

"When _Celestial Angel_ is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon up to two Celestial monsters from my Deck, and trigger their effects if they have one that activates when they are Normal Summoned. I'm bringing out _Celestial Knight-Star_ and a second copy of _Celestial Synchron_!"

**Celestial Knight-Star ATK: 2000, DEF: 1000, Level 4**

"I'll pass on _Celestial Synchron's_ effect, but I'm using _Celestial Knight-Star's_ effect and reviving _Celestial Knight-Saturn!_"

My knight in silver armor appears, and she waves her half staff, half sword. A flash of light brings back the yellow-armored knight, and off to the side my mechanical star appears again.

"I Tune my Level 3 _Celestial Synchron_ with my Level 1 _Celestial Angel! The power of hope rises and brings with it the light of a new future! Synchro Summon! Show us that future, my Synchro Tuner Zero Synchron!" _I chant.

**Zero Synchron ATK: 1800, DEF: 1000, Level 4**

"Synchro… Tuner? No matter, it doesn't stand a chance against _Thought Ruler Archfiend/Assault Mode_!" Sayer says.

"I'm not done yet," I say with a glare. "I Tune my Level 4 _Celestial Knight-Star_ with my Level 4 _Celestial Knight-Saturn! As night falls and darkness rises, the stars gather together to form one mighty beast! Synchro Summon! Bring forth the light, Celestial Dragon-Quasar!"_

**Celestial Dragon-Quasar ATK: 3000, DEF: 2000, Level 8**

My silver and purple dragon appears, flying next to the gold-and-silver robot.

'_Reshiram, I need your help,'_ I think.

'_No problem little one,'_ she replies. _'I have been itching for a battle.'_

I close my eyes. _'Alright, I have to clear my mind, let my thoughts ride the wind…'_ I open my eyes and hit the accelerator. I shoot forward, quickly passing Sayer. "Clear Mind! I Tune my Level 4 _Zero Synchron _with my Level 8 _Celestial Dragon-Quasar! Keeper of great light, descend now and pierce the shadows of evil! Accel Synchro! Tear apart the darkness, Reshiram, Goddess of Light!"_

The gold-and-silver robot turns into four green rings, but instead of circling around my dragon, they circle me as well. Gold light starts to gather around my dragon and I, until it really flashes. Now I'm behind Sayer, but my bright white dragon is shining, giving light to the track.

**Reshiram, Goddess of Light ATK: ?, DEF: ?, Level 12**

"_Reshiram, Goddess of Light's_ Attack and Defense Points are based on the number of cards in my Graveyard times 500. And guess how many I count? 22!" I exclaim.

**Reshiram, Goddess of Light ATK/DEF: 11000**

"Eleven thousand Attack Points?!"

I grin and nod. "Oh yeah, and she'll be putting all of them into attacking _Thought Ruler Archfiend/Assault Mode_," I say. "Go now, _Generation Burst_!"

_Reshiram_ flies up and shines even brighter. Then she plummets down like a meteor and slams into the green-and-gold skeleton-covered dragon. The attack even sends Sayer and his Duel Runner spinning out of control, but he regains his balance.

**Sayer's Life Points: 5000**

"That ends my turn," I say smugly. He has no chance for a turnaround now. He might be able to stall… if he draws a monster on his next turn.

"It's… It's my turn!" Sayer announces, drawing his card.

**Sayer S.C. 8, Sky S.C. 8**

"Hmph! I'm not going to let you win this Duel," he says. "I'll set a card face-down and end my turn."

'_No monster, guess he's screwed,'_ I think. "It's my turn!"

**Sayer S.C. 9, Sky S.C. 9**

"_Reshiram, Goddess of Light_, attack him directly and end this Duel!" I shout.

"I activate my Trap _Dimensional Prison_," Sayer counters. "Now your dragon is removed from the game!"

I smile, "I wouldn't be so sure of that. _Reshiram_ has an ability called _Turboblaze_. By removing from play a card in my Graveyard, once per turn I can negate the activation and effect of a card and destroy it."

**Reshiram, Goddess of Light ATK/DEF: 10500**

"Finish your attack!" I shout.

'_With pleasure,'_ she replies. This time, she merely launches a powerful burst of light straight at Sayer. I hear him scream, and when the light dims he isn't there.

**Sayer's Life Points: 0—Winner: Sky Fudo (Team Cosmos)**

I stop my Duel Runner and look around. _'He was my way out of here, does this mean I'm trapped?'_

Reshiram flies next to me. _'No, I can send you home, as well as the small group of fans you seem to have collected.'_

I turn around and see that the group of people—indeed, five of them—had gotten really close. All of them seemed to be pretty dirty, but I let that slide. I mean, I have no idea how this dimension works. "Hey, I can bring you guys back home," I say. "But, uh, what are all of your names?"

"Keria Night," a blonde, blue-eyed girl wearing a badly torn purple dress replies.

"Opal," another girl says. "Keria's my older sister." Opal has the same eye color and hair color as her sister, but she has on torn cargo pants and a jacket that seems to be much too big for her.

"Tobu. Don't have a last name."

I look at the young man closely. I recognize his name. Upon seeing his outfit (while a bit dirty) and his hair (brown) and eye color (green), my mind makes the connection. "You were the leader of Team Ninja."

"Oh, I thought I recognized you," he snarls. "If I'd known I had psychic abilities, I would have wiped the floor in our Duel."

"Yeah, right," I shrug him off. "What about your names?" I ask the last two people.

"Toby Tredwell," the brown-haired teen replies, his blue-green eyes shining with hope. "I heard you mention my name to Sayer. Can you take me to my sister?"

"Of course!" I exclaim. "Now, about the last person in your group…" I look at the young woman closely and I'm pretty sure my jaw drops. Standing in front of me is basically an exact copy of Crow, only she's a girl and doesn't have any Criminal Markers.

"Is something wrong?"

I stop gaping at her. "Uh… what's your name?"

"Well… Sayer gave me the name Hikari… but I don't know if that's my real name."

"That's…" I pull out my phone and scroll through my pictures. I open the one I took at my birthday party and zoom in on Crow. Then I show Angel the picture. "This is my best friend and foster brother, Crow," I explain. "I'm pretty sure you're related to him."

"I… guess it's possible," she says. "I don't remember anything before my time in the Arcadia Movement. Crow could be my brother and I wouldn't know it."

'_Alright little one,'_ Reshiram says. _'I'm ready to take you and the others home.'_

A bright sphere of light surrounds all of us, and when it dims we're in the center of my team's pit. Yusei, Jack, and Crow are here, just like my team. "Hey guys," I say.

They spin around. "Uh… what the heck did we miss?" Sydney asks.

"I won the Duel. Oh, and I freed some of the people that Sayer made disappear," I say. "These are Keria, Opal, Tobu, Toby, and—"

Crow storms over to Hikari, his facial expression looking like he was seeing a ghost. "Angel?" he asks. "Is that really you?"

**To be continued…**

Sky: …You go on leave for almost a month, and _this_ is what you give us?

Me: What? I've had an idea like that sitting in the back of my mind for… about two months. The part with Angel, anyways. I've had the idea for the end of the Duel sitting around for a lot longer.

Sky: You better not take some lengthy break until putting up the next chapter.

Me: Well, I have an idea as to how the next chapter's going to go, and the fact that it's Thanksgiving break might give me some more time to work on it. Oh man, I can't wait until I write _that_ part… It'll be as much fun as revealing who the mysterious person in Rewind is… Speaking of which, I'm also updating Rewind, and it has the identity of the stranger in that chapter.

Sky: Great! I really want to know who he is.

Me: Alright. I'm done here for now, and I'm going to ask for reviews as always! Any suggestions are also awesome, so tell me if you have an idea that'll fit in any of my stories. Bye!


	48. Chapter 48: Sibling Tragedy

Me: *Sitting at desk with head in hands* Ugh… I really hate Yusei right now…

Sky: What?

Me: Well, I had to write a Duel between him and… another character… but I had to be the idiot that decided to copy down _all_ of his cards onto a document, simply so that I wouldn't have to constantly use Google while writing the Duel. It took _two days._ I never realised he used so many cards during the show…

Meri: You don't have to use Google every five seconds now, though.

Me: I know… it was just annoying and I wanted to get this chapter written as fast as I could.

Sky: Why is that?

Me: Because tomorrow marks the two year anniversary of Blue Sky being on fanfiction.

Sky: Really?

Me: Mhmm. But I finished the chapter early, and _really _wanted to put it up. Oh, and tomorrow I'm putting up an AU fanfiction involving Angel as a main character. I say AU because it's not in the world of Blue Sky.

Sky: I hope Angel knows what she's getting into.

Me: Oh, she doesn't. Which is awesome. By the way, you might want to be scared about the end of this chapter. It's the reason I wanted to update quickly.

Sky: *Facepalm* Don't tell me you're pulling a Rewind…

Me: And that means…?

Sky: Killing a main character, what did you _think_ I meant?

Me: Nothing. And… uh… no comment to the pulling a Rewind thing. *Evil grin* I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds, but I do own my OCs and some of their cards. Enjoy… the torture!

Chapter 48

I look between the two orange-haired people. The girl that might be named Angel looks almost as shocked as Crow is. She blinks a few times and steps back. "I… yeah. I think… that's probably true."

"You _think?_" Crow asks.

"I don't have any memory of my life before the Arcadia Movement," she says.

"Crow, you mind explaining this?" Jack asks.

The grey-eyed young man looks at everyone. "Oh… I forgot I never mentioned having a sister to you guys. Sorry."

"Well, why is that?" I ask.

He goes to reply, but MC comes on with an announcement, "Well, this is odd! The scoreboard reads that Sayer's Life Points have hit zero, which means that Sky has won, but neither Duelist is anywhere in sight!"

I scowl and roll my eyes. "Give me a second." I get back on my Duel Runner and speed back onto the track. Of course they needed to see the victor before announcing it as a victory, but at that time? My curiosity is just about killing me!

Even after they announce it as a victory for Team Cosmos, the reporters swamp on me, wanting to know what happened. I don't lie to them, per say, but I don't tell them that the Duel was in a different dimension. Instead I tell them that I only barely won the Duel and that's all they need to know.

When I arrive back in the pit, only Shoshan is there. "Ah! The others had me wait here. The five people you rescued apparently had to be checked out by doctors, so that's where they are now. Oh, and Yusei made Crow swear not to talk about the whole sister thing until we got there, so you haven't missed anything."

"Well then, let's go!"

**XXX**

Crow ends up telling his story to us in Angel's (rather packed) hospital room, after he told us that Dr. Izumi was running a DNA test just to be sure that they were related. "So… Where to start… Yusei, Sky, do you remember how you found me what was it, thirteen years ago?"

"I'd _almost_ forgotten," I reply with a grimace. The image of my friend way back when he was five years old comes back into my memory. Yusei had been the one to find him first, half dead next to a dumpster. We'd gotten him to Martha's house, where he recovered. He never did tell us how he got that way…

"I remember," Yusei adds.

"Well, before that happened, and after Zero Reverse, me and Angel stuck together on the streets," he says. "After we discovered Duel Monsters, Angel found out that she was a Psychic Duelist. Shortly after that, a man that I only now know was Sayer showed up, and…"

"I remember what happened," Angel says. "Sayer wanted me to come, but I didn't want to go without Crow and Sayer didn't want to bring him along. We tried running away, but he caught us, grabbed me, and ended up flinging Crow into a building in the process. Then I'm pretty sure he sealed my memories, so I wouldn't try escaping."

"How'd you end up in the other dimension?" I ask.

"Uh…" She rubs the back of her head. "I may or may not have tried to level the Arcadia Movement. On accident. Twice."

I can't hold in the grin or the short giggle that follows. Okay, maybe full-on laughter. I don't know why I find it funny, but I do. And apparently the others find it slightly funny as well. Even Akiza, who hasn't said anything the entire time yet I've sensed that she feels guilty about this, laughs with me.

"I seem to have missed something," Izumi says from the doorway. She has a clipboard in hand, and a smile on her face. "That doesn't matter, though. The DNA test came back positive. The two of you are definitely fraternal twins."

"My memories already came back, so…" Angel trails off. She looks at everyone. "Crow, it was nice meeting your friends, but would it be okay if I can talk with you privately? Maybe you can fill me in on what I've missed?"

"Yeah, sure thing," he replies. He turns around. "Well, what are you waiting for? Out!"

**XXX**

"Hey, did anyone call Misty and tell her that we found Toby?" I ask.

"No, I don't think anyone has told her," Yusei replies.

"Because of the whole Crow-has-a-sister thing, right?" I don't need an answer. "I'd call her, but I don't have her phone number."

"I do," Akiza says. Jack and Leo both look at her funny, and she adds, "What? I made a promise to look for Toby. She gave me her number just in case we found him, and, well, we did!" She hands me a scrap of paper with a phone number scribbled on it. "Since you're the one that found him, you should be the one to tell Misty."

"Alright…"

I dial in the number and listen to the rings. The person who picks up is definitely not Misty, but I'd recognize his voice anywhere. _"Hello?"_

"Kalin, what are you doing with Misty's phone?"

"_That's… uh… complicated,"_ he quickly replies. _"So, you needed to talk to Misty?"_

"Yeah," I say. "Tell her I found Toby."

In the background, I hear Kalin repeat what I said, and the rustling of clothes echoes through until Misty demands, _"Where? Where is Toby?"_

"Neo Domino General," I reply. "Apparently Sayer has access to another dimension, and he almost trapped me there as well. Toby's fine, though."

"_Oh thank goodness,"_ she replies. _"Tell him I'll be there in… How quick can we get to Neo Domino City? …Alright, tell him I'll be there in two hours."_

"Will do. Bye."

**XXX**

After that, it was really just more waiting. Waiting for the semifinals of the WRGP, that is. It seems that my team is going up against Yusei's team, which makes me a little bit upset (I wanted to face him in the finals), but I'll just have to deal with it. The other two teams are Team New World and Team Broken Time, and I'm fairly certain that New World is making it into the finals, since that's the team the Emperors of Yliaster made.

We're all at the stadium now, in our separate pits. Sydney keeps a wary eye on Team 5Ds, and says, "What do you think they're going to do?"

"I think…" I remember that the thought-link Yusei and I have is still partially broken, but I can send him thoughts. _'Yusei, why don't we get the inevitable over first? The two of us lead, alright?'_ I glance over to his team's pit, Yusei catches my glance and nods. "I'm going first," I say.

"You sure about that?" Sydney asks.

"Yes, because Yusei's going to lead for Team 5Ds," I reply. I slap the team sticker on my upper left arm, hop on my Duel Runner, and smile. "Don't worry, whenever one of us loses, the other won't be too hard to beat when the second Duelist comes in. You'll both get your chance to Duel."

With that, I speed out of the pit at the same time that Yusei does. We line up at the starting line, and my grin grows even wider. "You ready for this, Yusei?" I ask. "I'll be the one winning."

"Don't be so sure of that," he replies.

"Look at that, folks!" MC announces. "The starter for Team 5Ds is Yusei Fudo and the starter for Team Cosmos is his sister, Sky! Just what sort of sibling rivalry will we see in this Duel?"

I chuckle. _'Oh, probably a lot, since neither of us plan to lose,'_ I think. The hologram of the start countdown lights up. 3… 2… 1… I press the pedal almost a half second after Yusei does, and yet in that half second he manages to get so far ahead of me. I'm not going to back down though, and I quickly catch up to and pass him just in time for the first corner.

"Let's Duel!"

**Yusei's Life Points: 4000 S.C. 1, Sky's Life Points: 4000 S.C. 1**

I quickly look at my hand and hold in a frown; there aren't any Tuners. But there is a decent enough combo waiting in it… "I Summon _Celestial Blacksmith_ to the field in Attack Mode!" I declare.

**Celestial Blacksmith ATK: 1500, DEF: 1000, Level 3**

A silver-haired man appears, dirty with soot, holding a giant hammer over his left shoulder. An anvil floats in front of him.

"I activate _Celestial Blacksmith's _effect! Once a turn, I can add one Celestial card from my Deck to my hand. I'm adding _Celestial Knight-Earth_! Since I can't attack this turn and I don't have any cards to activate, I'll end my turn with three face-down cards."

"It's my turn then," Yusei says, drawing his card.

**Yusei S.C. 2, Sky S.C. 2**

"I Summon _Fortress Warrior_ in Defense Mode, and then place two cards face down. That ends my turn," he says after contemplating his hand.

**Fortress Warrior ATK: 600, DEF: 1200, Level 2**

A statue made out of blue stone appears. It looks kind of like a person that's trying to hold up a layer of rock. A moment later, and the stone turns a deeper shade of blue.

'_That's it? No one-turn Synchro Summon?'_ I think. _'Maybe his hand was as bad as mine. But, knowing Yusei, he probably just has something bigger planned.'_ "Alright, it's my turn!" I draw my card.

**Yusei S.C. 3, Sky S.C. 3**

"I activate _Celestial Blacksmith's_ ability once more, adding _Celestial Wizard _to my hand," I say. "Now I'll Summon _Celestial Knight-Earth_ and as I control a Celestial Monster, I'll also Special Summon _Celestial Wizard._"

**Celestial Knight-Earth ATK: 1900, DEF: 1000, Level 4; Celestial Wizard ATK: 1800, DEF: 1000, Level 4**

A woman in dark green armor that is lined with blue appears, a small dagger in hand. Next to her appears a young man in a silver robe, designs of stars covering said robe.

"_Celestial Knight-Earth,_ attack _Fortress Warrior_! _Gravity Stab_!" I order.

My knight darts forward, and her dagger gains a dark purple aura. Yusei presses a button on his Duel Disk, "I counter with _Scrap-Iron Scarecrow_!" he says. The ever-so-familiar scarecrow made of scraps appears and _Celestial Knight-Earth's_ dagger hits it instead of the statue.

"This early in the Duel, huh Yusei?" I ask. I'd been hoping that his scarecrow would have stayed in his Deck for longer. Now I can't destroy his monster this turn, since I know it can survive one battle a round and _Celestial Blacksmith_ can't attack…

"Luck of the draw," he offers.

"Well, let's see if your 'luck of the draw' can help you after this! I activate my face-down, a Trap called _Delay Synchro_! Now neither of us can Synchro Summon until the end of my next turn," I say. "This card can only be activated during my turn, and I can't have Synchro Summoned during it, which is why I didn't bust out _Quasar,_ _Sol,_ or _Moon_. There, I'll end my turn with that."

"So, sealing up your own strategies to stop mine?" Yusei asks. "Clever, but I won't give in that easily. It's my turn!"

**Yusei S.C. 4, Sky S.C. 4**

"I activate my _Speed Spell-Reincarnation of Hope_! Because I have at least 3 Speed Counters, I can discard 2 cards. In two turns, I can add one monster from my Deck to my hand," he starts. "I'll end my turn with one face-down."

'_I didn't realize he had a Speed Spell for _Reincarnation of Hope_,' _I think. "Well then, it's my turn!"

**Yusei S.C. 5, Sky S.C. 5**

"I Summon _Celestial Knight-Mercury_ to the field," I say. "Oh, and he gains 700 ATK when I have another Celestial monster out."

**Celestial Knight-Mercury ATK: 1500 to 2200, DEF: 1000, Level 3**

This knight has on light red armor, and a curved sword in his hands. "Now I'll have _Celestial Blacksmith_ attack your _Fortress Warrior_!" I order. The man swings his hammer off of his shoulder and brings it down on the statue, but the statue doesn't shatter. I nod and continue, "Your turn, _Celestial Knight-Earth_."

Strangely enough, he doesn't play his _Scrap-Iron Scarecrow._ Instead, he waits until after my wizard has blasted apart his monster to say, "I activate my Trap _Scramble Egg_! Because you destroyed a monster I control, I can now Special Summon one _Sonic Chick_ from my hand, Deck, or Graveyard."

**Sonic Chick ATK: 300, DEF: 300, Level 1**

A green-eyed, red-boot-wearing bird with pink feathers appears. She crouches down and folds her wings in front of her, turning blue.

"I see what you did there," I say. "I can't destroy your monster. Hmm… I'll just have to end my turn with a face-down."

"It's my turn!" Yusei draws his card.

**Yusei S.C. 6, Sky S.C. 6**

"The effect of your _Delay Synchro_ has worn off," Yusei points out. "I Summon the Tuner _Blue Expense Falcon_!"

**Blue Expense Falcon ATK: 800, DEF: 800, Level 2**

A tall bird with blue feathers covering his wings, head, and legs, but light green feathers covering his neck, torso, and shoulders appears. He holds a bow in one hand.

"When _Blue Expense Falcon_ is Summoned, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Dragon-Type monster from my hand," he continues. "I Special Summon _Bright Star Dragon_!"

**Bright Star Dragon ATK: 1900, DEF: 1000, Level 4**

The dragon's body is a cream color, but his wings are more greyish-white. He glows brightly, and the glow surrounds _Blue Expense Falcon_ as well.

"When _Bright Star Dragon_ is Summoned, I can have one monster other than him gain two Levels," Yusei says. "Now I can Tune my Level 4 _Blue Expense Falcon_ with my Level 4 _Bright Star Dragon! Clustering wishes will become a new shining star! Become the path its light shines upon! Synchro Summon! Take flight, Stardust Dragon!"_

**Stardust Dragon ATK: 2500, DEF: 2000, Level 8**

His silver dragon appears, and sparkles fall off of the dragon's wings.

"_Stardust Dragon,_ attack _Celestial Knight-Earth_! _Cosmic Flare_!" he shouts.

"I won't let you get rid of my Tuner that easily," I say. "I activate my Trap _Urgent Tuning_! Now I can Tune Level 4 _Celestial Knight-Earth_ with Level 4 _Celestial Wizard! __As night falls and darkness rises, the stars gather together to form one mighty beast! Synchro Summon! Bring forth the light, Celestial Dragon-Quasar!"_

**Celestial Dragon-Quasar ATK: 3000, DEF: 2000, Level 8**

Now my own silver dragon appears, ready to counter Yusei's dragon. Actually, more than ready, as I continue, "When _Celestial Knight-Earth_ is used in the Synchro Summon of a Celestial monster, one of your monsters loses 1000 ATK. Sorry _Stardust_, but you're getting weaker."

**Stardust Dragon ATK: 1500**

"I figured you had something like that planned," he says. "I activate my _Speed Spell-One for One_! By removing 4 Speed Counters and discarding one card, I can Special Summon a Level 1 monster from my hand or Deck. Say hello to my Tuner, _Unknown Synchron_!"

**Yusei S.C. 2; Unknown Synchron ATK: 0, DEF: 0, Level 1**

A metal sphere with a red eye at the center appears, its two yellow antennae waving in the air. They click together as Yusei continues, "I Tune my Level 1 _Unknown Synchron_ with my Level 1 _Sonic Chick! __Gathering wishes will call out a new speed's horizon! Become the path its light shines upon! Synchro Summon! The power of hope, Synchro Tuner, Formula Synchron!"_

**Formula Synchron ATK: 200, DEF: 1500, Level 2**

The sphere turns into one green ring that circles around the defending bird, until light flashes and out rides a robot that looks a lot like a toy racecar. "When _Formula Synchron _is Synchro Summoned, I can draw 1 card," Yusei says. "That ends my turn."

'_A Synchro Tuner… He's going to pull out _Shooting Star Dragon_ soon,'_ I think. _'Although, why didn't he do that during his turn?'_ I shrug it off. "It's my turn!" I draw my card.

**Yusei S.C. 3, Sky S.C. 7**

I scan my hand; this time I don't have any viable monsters to play. "I activate the effect of _Celestial Blacksmith_ and add _Celestial Fairy_ to my hand! Then, I'll Summon _Celestial Fairy_ in Defense Mode."

**Celestial Fairy ATK: 1000, DEF: 200, Level 2**

A little girl with short, white butterfly wings appears. She has on a pink dress that has several stars on it. "Then I'll activate… Hey, what are you doing?" I ask.

Yusei had sped in front of me. _Really_ far in front of me. "I can Synchro Summon with _Formula Synchron_ during my opponent's turn," he explains. He stops, takes a breath, and shouts, "Clear Mind! I'm Tuning my Level 2 _Formula Synchron _with my Level 8 _Stardust Dragon! Clustering crystal dreams open the door to a new evolution! Become the path its light shines upon! Accel Synchro! Be born, Shooting Star Dragon!"_

**Shooting Star Dragon ATK: 3300, DEF: 2500, Level 10**

The toy racecar turns into two green rings that circle around Yusei and _Stardust Dragon_. Pinkish-red light surrounds them both, and they vanish. I look behind me, and Yusei is there, with the same powered-up silver dragon I saw him take down Primo with.

"I activate the effect of _Speed World 2_! By removing 7 Speed Counters, I can draw 1 card," I say, still staring at his dragon.

**Sky S.C. 0**

"Then I'll use the effect of _Celestial Fairy_! I can draw a card, and if it's a Celestial monster, I can Special Summon it," I continue. It isn't a monster, though. It's the Trap _Needlebug Nest._ "Huh… I set a card face-down and end my turn."

"It's my turn!" Yusei declares, drawing his card.

**Yusei S.C. 4, Sky S.C. 1**

"I activate the effect of _Shooting Star Dragon_! I reveal the top 5 cards of my Deck, and _Shooting Star Dragon_ can attack a number of times equal to the number of Tuners I reveal," Yusei says. He shows the cards, _Junk Synchron, Bicular, Baton of the Hero, Speed Spell-Silver Contrails, _and _Steam Synchron_.

'_That makes two attacks,'_ I think. _'I hope he doesn't target _Celestial Dragon-Quasar_…'_

"_Shooting Star Dragon_, attack _Celestial Blacksmith _first, and then attack _Celestial Knight-Mercury_! _Stardust Mirage_!" Yusei orders.

I heave a sigh of relief, "I activate my Trap _Half Shield_! Now all damage anyone takes this turn is halved."

The silver dragon splits into a blue copy and a yellow copy. The yellow copy attacks my _Celestial Blacksmith,_ and the blue copy attacks my knight. Both times, the dragon copies continue and hit me. Once both have attacked, they recombine to the normal silver-colored dragon.

**Sky's Life Points: 2550**

'_He must not be worried about me pulling something off with _Quasar_,'_ I think. _'Oh, he's going to be in for quite a surprise…'_

"I end my turn," Yusei says.

I grin, "You're going to regret not destroying my dragon, Yusei," I say, drawing my card.

**Yusei S.C. 5, Sky S.C. 2**

"Not quite what I had in mind, but I activate my _Speed Spell-Angel Baton_! As I have 2 Speed Counters, I can now draw two cards, and then discard one," I say. I draw my cards, _'There! I got the one I needed.'_ "I discard _Celestial Meteor_. Now, I Summon the Tuner _Celestial Archer_!"

**Celestial Archer ATK: 200, DEF: 1000, Level 2**

"I then activate my Trap _Needlebug Nest_! This forces me to send the top five cards of my Deck to the Graveyard," I explain, discarding the five cards.

"Since when has Deck Destruction been your strategy?" Yusei asks.

"Not long, but I must've kept it a secret pretty good," I reply. "I Tune my Level 2 _Celestial Archer _with my Level 2 _Celestial Fairy! __The power of hope rises and brings with it the light of a new future! Synchro Summon! Show us that future, my Synchro Tuner, Zero Synchron!"_

**Zero Synchron ATK: 1800, DEF: 1000, Level 4**

"Synchro Tuner?!" Yusei exclaims as my gold-and-silver robot appears.

"Oh yeah," I reply. "Guess I never told you about that. Well, you know what comes next." I take a deep breath as I speed ahead. _'Let's go Reshiram,'_ I think.

'_Ride the wind, little one,'_ she replies.

'_Mhmm. Ride the wind…'_ I close my eyes for a second and open them back up. "Clear Mind! I Tune my Level 4 _Zero Synchron_ with my Level 8 _Celestial Dragon-Quasar! Keeper of great light, descend now and pierce the shadows of evil! Accel Synchro! Tear apart the darkness, Reshiram, Goddess of Light!"_

My white dragon appears, making _Shooting Star Dragon_ seem less intimidating than before. "_Reshiram's_ ATK and DEF are based on the number of cards in my Graveyard times 500," I say. "There are… 19."

**Reshiram, Goddess of Light ATK/DEF: 9500**

"Not for this turn!" Yusei says. "I activate my Trap _Panic Wave_! By destroying one of my cards, like my face-down _Spirit Force_, I can negate the effects of all monsters, Continuous Spells, and Continuous Traps for this turn only."

Reshiram's power falls to zero, because I don't think it would be a good idea to counter with her ability. _Shooting Star Dragon_ probably has an anti-destruction effect like _Stardust Dragon_, so… "Fine! I end my turn, and that means _Panic Wave's_ effects wear off."

"It's my turn!" Yusei draws his card.

**Yusei S.C. 6, Sky S.C. 3**

"The effect of _Reincarnation of Hope_ activates now," he says. "I add _Effect Veiler _to my hand. Then, I set one card face-down and end my turn."

'_Dang it, _Effect Veiler_ will boot _Reshiram's_ power to zero again. Why does a monster as powerful as she is have to be restricted by something so simple?'_ "It's my turn!"

**Yusei S.C. 7, Sky S.C. 4**

"I activate the effect of _Effect Veiler_! Now, since I'm discarding _Effect Veiler_, your _Reshiram_ loses her abilities once more," Yusei says.

"Then… Then I activate the effect of _Speed World 2_! I remove 4 of my Speed Counters in order to deal you 1600 points of damage, as I have two Speed Spells in my hand," I say. "That'll end my turn."

**Sky S.C. 0; Yusei's Life Points: 2800**

"It's my turn!" Yusei draws his card.

**Yusei S.C. 8, Sky S.C. 1**

Yusei doesn't do anything for a couple of seconds, but then he smiles. "I activate two Trap cards, _Synchro Baton_ and _Synchro Strike_. _Synchro Baton_ grants _Shooting Star Dragon_ 600 ATK for each Synchro Monster in my Graveyard, and _Synchro Strike_ grants _Shooting Star Dragon_ 500 ATK for each of his Synchro Materials."

**Shooting Star Dragon ATK: 5500**

"That's not even close to what you need to defeat _Reshiram, Goddess of Light,"_ I point out.

"Who said I was done?" Yusei retorts. "I activate my _Speed Spell-Final Attack_! Now _Shooting Star Dragon's_ ATK is doubled, but he can't attack you directly and is destroyed during the End Phase."

**Shooting Star Dragon ATK: 11000**

I watch as Yusei's dragon gains a powerful aura and flinch back a little. I don't have any cards that can protect my dragon… but at least this attack won't finish me off. I'll still have… 50 Life Points.

"_Shooting Star Dragon_, attack _Reshiram, Goddess of Light_!" Yusei orders.

This time, no copies are made. The silver dragon simply dive-bombs mine, but something doesn't feel right. The realization hits me too late; I remember this specific event being in that horrifying vision. I don't even have time to warn Yusei.

The collision of the two dragons causes a surge of energy to burst through the air and our Duel Disks.

I feel the vague sensation of flying through the air before I hit pavement. My entire body goes numb, but I manage to open my eyes about halfway. Yusei is also on the ground, not moving. I swear I see a few spheres of light surround him… And my eyes close…

_Pain. Blinding, searing pain. And then… nothing._

**To be continued…**

Me: *Hides behind the Everything Shield* Yes, I just pulled that. No, I'm not telling you if they're dead or not. Drop a review, alright?

Sky: I AM GOING TO STRANGLE YOU!

Me: Nope! The Everything Shield protects me!


	49. Chapter 49: Death and Revival

Me: Well, I'm pretty sure everyone wants to know what happens next, so I'm just going to skip most of everything until the end… Oh, did anyone pay attention to the team I named Dueling against Team New World in the semifinals? I mentioned it in the last chapter… And they're important. Very, very important. *Grins* So, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds or Pokemon, but I do own my OCs and most of their cards. Enjoy!

Chapter 49

_Someone's calling my name. I can't quite hear who it is, though… _"Sky"_… There it is again! Who's calling my name? _"Sky, c'mon… don't die on me"_… A blur of colors races in front of my vision, and I still can't recognize the voice. _

_A voice so loud I would cringe if I could move shouts, _"The three of you are contaminating the scene! Please back away from the bodies!"

_Bodies? I'm not dead… At least I don't think I am. And bodies, as in plural? Who else… what happened?_

"No! You need to get them to a hospital! They're alive! They survived the explosion!"_ I finally recognize the voice__—it's Shoshan._

_Everything fades out again…_

**XXX**

_BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! _

_My attention is roused again, but I still can't move and I don't feel like Shoshan's next to me. My chest hurts, hurts so much, I can't breathe…! What's going on?_

_BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP!_

_And suddenly, a child's voice, _"We'll take it from here, doctors."

_A clutter of metal on tile, and the shifting of clothing… _"Who might you be?"_ Male voice, I don't recognize it._

_The same girl replies, _"Sky Fudo cannot die. You don't have the tools necessary to save her, though."

_Someone else speaks, and this time, I recognize the voice—Lester. _"Trust us, Doctor Shiro. We can save her life."

_No! No, don't trust them! I want to shout. Lester wants to destroy Neo Domino City! He won't save me, he'll kill me!_

"Listen kids, I have a job to do. I don't even know how you got in here,"_ the doctor says._ "Please leave."

"Wrong answer,"_ the girl says. And she mutters a word that makes me wonder who she is. Meigs. In the magical language that Fudos use, it means 'sleep'. The girl must be a Fudo… but how?_

_For the third time, everything fades out…_

**XXX**

"Sky, Sky, get up!"

I moan a little and open my eyes. I realize I'm not in pain and I can actually see properly. It looks like I'm looking at the bottom of a table… because I am. And I recognize the table. "Crap," I mutter. "This place again." I see that Yusei is here as well, sitting next to me. Or would it be under me, since my head is on his lap?

"What do you mean by 'this place again'?" he asks.

"I… can't say. I made a promise not to talk about it," I reply. I look around the diner and notice the lack of people. Last time, there were at least people here, but now it's just the two of us…

A bell rings, and the door opens. In walks a tall woman in a black Racing Suit, designs of broken gears on it. Her face is obscured by the black vizor on her helmet, and it looks so thick I wonder how she sees through it. The woman walks over to the table and sits across from us.

"The name's Dusk," she says. Her voice sounds so familiar. _Uncannily_ familiar. But I can't place it. "I'm assuming you were expecting someone else to be here, weren't you Sky?"

"Ye… ah," I say slowly. "But how do you know that I know of this place?"

Dusk chuckles a little. "Oh, I know a lot about the two of you. Like, for starters, Yusei's powers are still sealed because you have yet to tell him about them."

At this, Yusei frowns. "What are you talking about? Sky, is she telling the truth?"

"I am," Dusk interrupts. "Actually, the reason I'm here is to say that unlocking Yusei's powers is the only way the two of you don't end up dead. Which, technically, you both _are_ dead at the moment. But the lack of powers thing left a tiny loophole, made larger by the fact that you died at the same time."

"What did Lester do to me?" I blurt.

"Lester?" Her mouth opens to an 'O.' "You must've been semi-alert in that hospital room. All Lester did was take you away from the hospital."

"What about the girl? There was a girl with him."

"You'll find out soon enough," she replies.

I shut up now. I'm pretty sure my brain is trying to process the whole 'I am dead' fact. Sure, I've been extremely close to death before, but… actually dying? That was something the Dark Signers were for… And what on earth did she mean by a loophole?

"…You didn't answer my question," Yusei says quietly.

I look at him and sigh. "I didn't mean for you to find out in this way… But it's true. You have powers that, well, are probably on par with my own. It's a family… heirloom, I guess."

He stays silent for a moment.

"If… If you want proof, hold out your hand and say the word 'Gaisma'," I mutter.

Yusei looks at me and does exactly what I say. A small orb of light appears in the palm of his hand. He looks at it, then looks back at me, and back to the sphere of light. He says nothing, but his silence speaks more than enough.

"You weren't expecting that, were you Yusei?" Dusk asks. "Yes, it was quite a shock to me as well, when I first learned. But it doesn't take too long to get a hold of."

I glare at the woman sitting across from us. "Who do you think you are? You're no Fudo, so why do you talk like you are?"

A short chuckle, and she replies, "Oh, you would be very much surprised to find out who I really am. But I suppose you'll have to wait until the finals." She shifts her weight and leans back on the bench. "Now all you have to do is teach him a healing spell, and the two of you can go back home."

"Wait," Yusei says. "Sky, why on earth would you keep this a secret from me?"

"I didn't want anything to happen to you," I reply. "The magic has a tendency to attract danger…"

"Were you ever going to tell me?"

"Of course!" I exclaim. "Look, I'd made up my mind to tell you after the WRGP. I would have told you earlier, but things just happened one after another, and we've never really had the time for a private conversation…"

"For something as important as this, I would have made time!" Uncharacteristically, Yusei yells at me.

Honestly, I'm just stunned. I didn't realize that telling him would make him mad like this… Well, I am being _forced_ to tell him… Maybe that's why he's mad. I never even hinted to him having powers… "I'm sorry," I say quietly. "I didn't have the right to keep this from you. As soon as we get back, I'll teach you as many spells as I know. But in order to do that, the healing spell is Dziedet."

"Uh… what?"

"Zee-eh-deht," I say slowly. "A lot of the spells are rather complicated to say."

"Going by that one alone, I would say so," Yusei agrees.

"Alright, it seems my work here is done." Dusk stands up from the booth. "I'll see the both of you soon."

A bright flash of white fills our vision.

**XXX**

When I come to, I realize that I'm lying face-down in a bush. I slowly push myself up and look around.I don't recognize the park at all. Also, no one else is here, except for Yusei, who is in a similar position to me but in a different bush.

Carefully, I untangle myself from the branches, wincing as pain flares in my chest a little. Whatever happened, I don't think it fully worked. And as my magic is still sealed, well, I'm just going to have to let that heal naturally. When I stand, I realize my left ankle is in a similar state that my chest is.

I limp over to Yusei, and wake him up. He rolls over, revealing torn clothes that are caked in dried blood. My clothes are in the same condition. I guess a return like that didn't replace our clothes…

"You alright Sky?" Yusei asks.

"I'll be fine. You?"

"Just a minor headache, and my right shoulder hurts a lot. I think I might've landed on it when… our Runners exploded."

"Huh. Well, that's going to have to heal naturally." I stop and look at the sky. "I wonder how much time has passed…"

"If Yliaster was involved in our abduction from the hospital, probably not much," Yusei says. "I still don't understand why they would help us…"

"I don't understand either," I reply. "We'll have to ask in the finals, well, which ever one of us gets there that is. You think they're going to reschedule our Duel?"

"I don't know… Ngh!" He grabs his right arm, and I can see that it is glowing.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

"I don't think they're rescheduling our Duel. Team New World and Team Broken Time just tied. With that and the fact that our result was inconclusive, they might put us against one of the other teams instead, or they might Battle Royale the finals," Yusei says.

"You got that from your Mark glowing?"

"Yeah. Should I find it odd that you get information from a dragon living in your head?"

"True that," I reply, laughing a little. "Alright, we should go find our friends. If your Mark glowed, then the other Signers must've felt that."

**XXX**

Oh, they felt it alright. Mere moments after the two of us started walking away from the bushes, I get tackle-hugged by someone and end up landing on the ground, with the person hugging me lying on top of me. When my vision clears, I realize it's Shoshan. I feel my face turn hot, and I say, "Shoshan, it's great that you care, but can you please get off of me?"

"S-Sorry," he mutters, his face turning bright red.

"It's alright," I reply, putting myself into a sitting position. I look over to Yusei, and all of my other friends are surrounding him. "Hey, what am I? Chopped liver?" I ask.

"What? No, you were just occupied with Shoshan," Crow says. "You going to explain what the _h***_ happened to the two of you?"

"Sure… but can we get a change of clothes first?" Yusei asks. He tries to stand back up, but flinches a little. "Sorry, my shoulder isn't healed yet. Can someone help me stand?"

**XXX**

We ended up not being able to tell our story until the next day. Apparently, when you get abducted from the hospital while in surgery, and you come back and you're definitely not dead or dying, the doctors still want to run about three million tests. Just to make sure. They had to give me anesthesia for several of the tests, mostly because I wouldn't cooperate with them. I'm sorry, I still don't like doctors very much.

Anyways, they only tell me I have a sprained ankle and a bruise at the bottom of my ribcage, which also has a scab on top of it. That means I have to be careful not to stretch out and break the scab.

They also add that I must've gone through some type of miracle, because there is no damage to my lungs whatsoever. Upon me asking what that meant, Dr. Shiro told me that, when I was first admitted to the hospital, I had a jagged piece of my broken Duel Disk lodged there, and it had actually punctured both of my lungs.

Well. I definitely underestimated the power that Yusei has.

After that, it was a lot of waiting, because Yusei took longer than I did to get through the tests. He ends up cleared with only a dislocated shoulder (to which he has to wear a sling, and Crow has already laughed at him for) and a mild concussion. A _mild_ one, and both of his injuries should heal before the finals.

Oh yeah. The finals. Team New World had, in fact, played their card and gotten the finals to be a Battle Royale. They offered condolences for our injuries, as did the three members of Team Broken Time—one of whom is Dusk! Then, they decided that the finals could wait until after everything went back to normal and our Duel Runners got fixed.

Once we got back to Poppo Time, that's when we told our story. Well, _I_ told the story. The entire time, my friends are silent, which doesn't happen very often. They don't even react when I mention the fact that Lester was in on the plot to kidnap me from the hospital. And when I finish with the fact that Yusei can also use magic, there's a long silence.

And then, Jack starts laughing. Soon after that, basically everyone except for Akiza and Shoshan join in. I glare at Jack as he stops and says, "That has to be the biggest pile of baloney I've ever heard!"

"You think I'm lying?" I snarl.

'_Sky, let me handle this,'_ Yusei's voice echoes in my head.

I stop and smile a little; I guess the bond is fully fixed now. _'Go ahead. Only… Say the word 'Pele'. Peh-lay.'_

He repeats the word aloud, and a small mouse appears in his hand. It scurries up Yusei's arm, sits on his shoulder, looks around a little bit, and then vanishes. "She's not lying," Yusei says.

"You mean… _you_ did that?" Leo asks. "Sorry for doubting you…"

"It's alright," I say. "That's all you guys needed to know. I guess now, we just have to fix our Duel Runners…"

**XXX**

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to the WRGP! After a month of preparing and recovering from the tragedy of the semifinals, the four teams are ready to Duel, Battle Royale style!" MC declares.

The people in the stadium cheer loudly, and in the pit I frown a little. If Team New World is in the finals, then the people here might be in danger. I don't want anyone to get hurt…

"I'll go first," Shoshan says. "I bet you anything, those people from Yliaster are going to bust out a Meklord quickly. My Deck doesn't rely on Synchros at all, so I would be the best to at least beat one of them."

"Then I'll go second," Sydney says. "I have ways that don't rely on Synchros. Your Deck, though, is mostly all about it. Hopefully we manage to get Team New World down to size by then."

"What about Broken Time?" I ask. "If they were good enough to end the Duel in a draw… They might pose a threat to us."

"We'll deal with that when we get there," Shoshan says. He puts his helmet on and gets on his Duel Runner. Then, he places the team sticker on the sleeve of his Riding Suit, and smiles. "Wish me luck!" And he takes off, arriving at the starting point.

Jack and Lester follow suit, arriving at the starting point mere seconds after Shoshan does. Then, a young girl, maybe ten years old, gets to the starting point on a silver and pink Duel Board. The end flares up and out, with designs of roses on it. The girl, in her skintight pink tank top and jeans seems oddly familiar, as magenta hair sticks out from under her helmet… Though I can't tell what color eyes she has.

The four of them exchange a few words, and though I can't hear what they said, I can guess that Jack was likely demoralizing that young girl. _'What's her name again?'_ I think. I quickly search it up, and find that her name is Hana. There is an even younger girl on that team as well, who can't be older than four, and yet apparently has managed to defeat several people in this competition, including Primo.

'_Well, this Duel is going to be rather interesting…' _I think.

The green light flashes, and all four of them take off. It looks like they're all going the same speed—which is surprising for the Duel Boards—until Hana and Lester exchange a glance and ride directly in front of Jack. The blonde swears and slows down. Right before they take the corner, Hana ducks out and winds up behind Jack.

**Shoshan's Life Points: 4000, Lester's Life Points: 4000, Jack's Life Points: 4000, Hana's Life Points: 4000**

Shoshan, who was oblivious to what happened, realizes that he can go first and smiles. "Okay, my turn!"

**All Duelists S.C. 1**

"Alright, I'm kicking things off by Summoning _Noibat_ in Attack Mode! But she's not staying long, because I release her in order to Special Summon her evolution, _Noivern_!" Shoshan shouts.

**Noivern ATK: 2600, DEF: 1200, Level 6**

A dragon appears with a mixture of black and purple for her body color, purple on her underside and on the back edges of her wings, and black everywhere else except for the underside of the wings, which are green. White fur wraps around _Noivern's_ neck like a scarf. Her ears are gigantic, and the insides are green. She has three claws on each wing, all of which are red, and a similar red color is on the top of her head in the shape of a 'V'.

"I'll set three cards face-down and end my turn."

"My turn then," Lester says, drawing his card.

**All Duelists S.C. 2**

"I Summon _Sky Core_ in Attack Mode, but it doesn't matter because I'm activating my _Speed Spell-Lightning Rod_! Because I have at least 2 Speed Counters, I can destroy my _Sky Core_, and you know what that means! The five pieces of my _Meklord Emperor Skiel Infinity_ now gather on my field!" Lester exclaims.

**Meklord Emperor Skiel Infinity ATK: 2200, DEF: 2200, Level 1**

A large, blue robot appears next to Lester in five different pieces, and they connect. The robot appears to have wings, though only the frame of them. Also, the compartment on what appears to be its chest looks like an infinity symbol, with a spiral of green light inside of it.

'_A one-turn Summon into a Meklord… I hope Jack and Shoshan know what they're doing,'_ I think.

"I would attack you directly, Jack, but that just wouldn't be fair," the boy continues. "I'll just set two cards face-down and end my turn."

"Hmph! You'll regret doing that. It's my turn, I draw!" Jack declares.

**All Duelists S.C. 3**

"I discard _Power Supplier _from my hand in order to Special Summon _Power Giant_ from my hand. Unfortunately, that decreases his Level by the Level of _Power Supplier_, which is two," Jack says.

**Power Giant ATK: 2200, DEF: 0, Level 6 to 4**

A giant made mostly out of light and dark blue crystals appears, green crystals on each shoulder and yellow ones sticking out where the monster's knees should be.

"But that Level decrease is exactly what I need, because I Summon the Tuner _Top Runner_!"

**Top Runner ATK: 1100, DEF: 800, Level 4**

'_Oh no, he's not going to… Not with a Meklord on the field…'_

"I Tune my Level 4 _Top Runner_ with my Level 4 _Power Giant! The ruler's heartbeats will now file through here! Take witness to its creation-shaking power! Synchro Summon! My very soul, Red Dragon Archfiend!" _he chants.

**Red Dragon Archfiend ATK: 3000, DEF: 2000, Level 8**

'_And… he did…'_

"_Red Dragon Archfiend_, attack _Meklord Emperor Skiel! Absolute Powerforce!_" he orders.

"Hah, the effect of _Skiel Guard_ negates an attack once per turn," Lester says. "Sorry, but your effort is pointless!"

Without changing his facial expression, Jack continues, "I'll place card face-down and end my turn."

"My turn, then!" Hana declares, drawing her card.

**All Duelists S.C. 4**

"My cards… yes… When I control no monsters, I can Special Summon _Prince of Stardust_ in Attack Mode!" she begins.

**Prince of Stardust ATK: 2500, DEF: 2000, Level 8**

A man wearing clothes suited for a prince hundreds of years ago appears. The clothes are light blue, and a hood covers his head. The hood is shaped oddly like _Stardust Dragon's_ head, and a scepter in the man's hand looks like _Stardust Dragon_ is wrapped around it.

"Then, when I Special Summon _Prince of Stardust,_ I can also Special Summon _Princess of Roses_ to join him!"

**Princess of Roses ATK: 2400, DEF: 1800, Level 7**

This time, it's a woman wearing ancient-looking clothes that are covered in dark pink rose petals. Her hood looks like _Black Rose Dragon_, and the scepter also appears to have that dragon wrapped around it.

"Now, for my Normal Summon, I'm bringing out _Lonefire Blossom_!" Hana says.

**Lonefire Blossom ATK: 500, DEF: 1400, Level 3**

'_Oh crap, that's the signature set up for _Tytannial_,'_ I realize. _'That's not good…'_

"I activate the effect of _Lonefire Blossom _and Tribute it in order to Special Summon… _Copy Plant_, the Tuner monster." She grins like it was the best play ever.

**Copy Plant ATK: 0, DEF: 0, Level 1**

A small stub of brown vines appears in the air.

"What in the world…?" I ask.

"That was a waste of a move! That girl could have busted out _Tytannial_!" Sydney points out.

"Wondering why I did that? Well, first I activate the effect of the _Level Rose_ in my hand. By discarding it, I can change _Princess of Roses'_ Level to 8. Then, I activate _Copy Plant's_ ability and have it mimic the Level of _Princess of Roses_," Hana says.

**Princess of Roses Level 7 to 8, Copy Plant Level 1 to 8**

"This means I can now ov—" she stops, and a scowl crosses her face. "Tch. Guess Dusk doesn't want me busting out _Chaos Rose Dragon_ just yet. Oh well, I set a card and end my turn."

'Chaos Rose Dragon_? I wonder what kind of card that is… and if that's the reason she made _Copy Plant _basically useless…'_

"My turn now, I draw!" Shoshan declares.

**All Duelists S.C. 5**

"Ah! I Summon _Oshawott_ in Defense Mode!" he starts.

**Oshawott ATK: 1000, DEF: 1000, Level 2**

A small otter with a light blue body, white head and arms, and dark blue tail, ears, and feet appears. A small yellow shell is attached to the otter's belly. _Oshawott_ kneels down, holding the shell above his head, and everything turns blue.

"Now, for what I really want to do! _Noivern_ has the ability to attack up to three times per turn, although she can't attack someone directly more than once," Shoshan says.

"If this is your Battle Phase, the effect of _Princess of Roses_ activates," Hana says. "During anyone's Battle Phase other than my own, _Princess of Roses_ grants _Prince of Stardust_ 1000 extra ATK. Also, _Prince of Stardust_ prevents any of my other monsters from being attacked."

**Prince of Stardust ATK: 3500**

"You _do_ realize I was going to attack _Meklord Emperor Skiel_, right?" Shoshan asks. "_Noivern_, go ahead and do just that! Attack with _Boomburst_!"

Lester laughs, "I activate my Counter Trap _Negate Attack_! Nice try Shoshan, but I'm not letting anyone touch _Skiel_."

Shoshan frowns, but continues, "I'll end my turn then…"

"Hah, my turn!" Lester says, drawing his card.

**All Duelists S.C. 6**

"Hmm… No monsters to Summon, but one monster to absorb. _Meklord Emperor Skiel,_ absorb that _Red Dragon Archfiend_!" he shouts, pointing at the red dragon.

"Not so fast, I activate my Continuous Trap _Dimension Switch_!" Jack counters. "This lets me banish _Red Dragon Archfiend_."

From the space on the robot's chest, several tentacles of light appear and try to catch the red dragon. But before they do, the dragon vanishes in a flash of light.

The boy glares at Jack, "Well, that leaves you wide open for attack!"

"Not exactly, as I can send _Dimension Switch_ to the Graveyard to bring _Red Dragon Archfiend_ back to the field."

"Hmph! So you can last one turn without getting it absorbed. Just wait until my next turn," Lester snarls. "I set a card face-down and end my turn."

**To be continued…**

Me: So, what do you think?

Sky: What in the _world_ are you going to do with that Duel?

Me: Lots of stuff. Especially since it's kind of obvious that Hana collaborated with Lester…

Sky: Do the members of Team New World and Team Broken Time know each other or something?

Me: Yes. Very much so. As for how and why… Everyone's going to have to forget what the show said about the apocalyptic future. And about the backstories of… Paradox, Lester, Primo, Jakob, and Zone. I'm leaving Antinomy's backstory mostly alone…

Lucy: *Pokes out of the Closet of Doom* Can I come out yet?

Me: Eh… Sure…?

Lucy: Awesome! So, fill me in on what I missed!

Me: I… uh… wrote the part about Yusei and Sky failing in a Turbo Duel…

Lucy: WHAT!? THAT WAS MY PART! _MINE_!

Sky: I think the other muses did a good job with it… I don't want to think about what would have happened if you wrote that part…

Me: No, you don't. Anywho, I'm trying to work on everything, although I don't know if I'll be able to update this week. I might be able to update something on the 16th, 17th, or 18th… And then, I won't be able to update at all between the 19th and the 26th, despite being on break. I'm going to NY to visit my family for Christmas, and while there I don't have access to a computer. If I'm following one of your stories, I can still leave reviews, but my 3DS does not let me upload chapters.

Sky: What puts this week out of the picture?

Me: I'm in my church musical. I have practice today, Wednesday, and Friday, dance on Tuesday, band concert on Thursday, my band's mattress sale fundraiser _and_ the performance of my church's musical on Saturday, and a second performance of the musical on Sunday.

Meri: And I'm going to pester her with ideas throughout the entire thing!

Me: Ngh… I know… *Sighs* Well, I'd love to see reviews! You can guess what happens next, just say that you enjoyed the chapter, or, if you saw any errors, point them out. I'll see you whenever I manage to update next, which will most likely be Crimson Feathers!


	50. Chapter 50: Beginning of the End

Me: I proved myself wrong. I guess I'm not updating Crimson Feathers first. *Grins* Man, I pulled this chapter out really fast… And I had so much fun doing it! About the first… um… half is the Duel, but then I delve into backstories, the best thing ever!

Sky: You're having there be some evil explanation, aren't you?

Me: Yep! Originally, I was going to end the chapter with a major character death, but then I changed my mind… it's still a pretty evil ending. And I hinted to the death in about four places. So, the _really_ evil stuff is in the next chapter… By the way, there are quite a few mentions to Rewind in this chapter, some of which I haven't written into that fic yet… so there are mini-spoilers for it and future chapters of it...

Lucy: I'll go work on Rewind to catch up some of the stuff.

Meri: Same here!

Me: Uh… okay… but no killing anyone, alright?

Lucy & Meri: Aw…

Me: You've killed off more than enough people, and already have more than enough deaths planned for this version of the apocalyptic future. Too bad. Anywho… I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds. Enjoy…?

Chapter 50

"Fine then, it's my turn!" Jack declares.

**All Duelists S.C. 7**

"When I control a Level 8 or higher Synchro Monster, I can Special Summon _Creation Resonator_ from my hand. Then, I Normal Summon _Synclone Resonator _as well," Jack says.

**Creation Resonator ATK: 800, DEF: 600, Level 3; Synclone Resonator ATK: 100, DEF: 100, Level 1**

"Cute, but you can't do much with two Tuners," Lester says. "Oh wait…"

"I Double Tune my Level 3 _Creation Resonator_ and Level 1 _Synclone Resonator! "The King and the Devil, here and now shall become as one. A Raging Spirit! Lift up the very cries of creation itself! Synchro Summon! Come forth, Red Nova Dragon!"_

**Red Nova Dragon ATK: 3500, DEF: 3000, Level 12**

The two Tuners turn into rings, though they are made of fire instead of green light. Also, instead of the dragon appearing in a flash of light, he appears from a ball of flames. The dragon's body is black, though red plating covers most of his body, head, and the upper part of his wings.

'_What is…? Oh yeah, this is Jack's version of an Accel Synchro monster. Didn't he get that card on that trip to Nazca that he and Yusei refuse to talk about? Yeah, that's it. _Skiel_ is in for a rude awakening,'_ I think.

"_Red Nova Dragon_ gains 500 ATK for every Tuner monster in my Graveyard. I count 3 at the moment," Jack says.

**Red Nova Dragon ATK: 3500 to 5000**

"So, your dragon gets a few extra points," Lester says. "If he can't attack more than once, you're not getting through my Meklord!"

"Who says I was attacking _Skiel_?" Jack asks. "No, _Red Nova Dragon_ is going to attack _Prince of Stardust_!"

"The effect of _Skiel Guard _activates!" Lester counters. "You don't have to be attacking one of my monsters to trigger its effect."

"Aw Lester, I had the perfect plan to counter his stupid dragon," Hana pouts. "Just because you're two years older than me doesn't mean I need you to cover me."

"Well I'm sorry, you can save whatever Trap you had planned for later," he replies.

"Fine," Hana mutters. "Go ahead and finish your turn, Jack."

"Wait, you two know each other?" Jack asks.

"Isn't it obvious?" the girl retorts. "Just finish your turn already!"

"Impatient much? It's not like I had much else to do…" Jack mutters. "I set two cards face-down and end my turn."

"Finally, it's my turn!" Hana shouts.

**All Duelists S.C. 8**

"Oh, I really want to Summon _Chaos Rose Dragon_…" she mutters. A few moments later, her face lights up. I assume that her team's leader told her to go ahead. "Yes! I activate _Copy Plant's_ ability again, returning it to Level 8. Then…"

**Copy Plant Level 1 to 8**

The magenta-haired young girl takes in a deep breath. "I construct the Overlay Network with all three of my monsters! _Wishes from beyond the stars, descend to the earth! Pitch-dark flower, wrap your thorns around the star and entrap it for eternity! Xyz Summon! Appear before us, Chaos Rose Dragon!"_

**Chaos Rose Dragon ATK: 3500, DEF: 2500, Rank 8**

Her three monsters turn into streams of light, and they gather at one spot, circling around and creating a galaxy of light. A humanoid dragon with silver scales overlapping with pale blue rose petals on its skin appears from the galaxy. Its head has a crest on the back of it, flaring outwards. Spikes, almost like thorns, stick out from around the end of the dragon's tail. Three spheres of light orbit the dragon, all in different directions.

"A… What on earth is that creature?" Shoshan demands.

"_Chaos Rose Dragon_ is an Xyz Monster, the remnants of a broken world! A world that was ruined, not once, but twice, by Synchro Monsters. So! For its effect, I can detach an Overlay Unit and negate the effects of a face-up Synchro Monster my opponent controls, permanently! Then, _Chaos Rose Dragon_ can also reduce that Synchro Monster's ATK and DEF by its Level times 500!" Hana exclaims.

'_That doesn't sound good… Although, what is she talking about? A world ruined twice… and by Synchro Monsters?'_

"I activate the effect of _Red Nova Dragon_! I can remove him from play until the End Phase," Jack says. "Also, I can negate one attack this turn."

The silver-and-blue dragon eats one of the spheres orbiting it. Then, it shoots a burst of gray light at the red dragon. Before the light hits, the red dragon vanishes, and the light disperses harmlessly.

Hana sighs and shakes her head. "I don't understand why you continue to protect your Synchros… They've only caused death and destruction to everyone I cared about…" She trembles a little, and I think that I see a tear fall down her face. "No matter! Your dragon won't be able to dodge forever. I set a card face-down and end my turn."

_Red Nova Dragon_ reappears on the field.

"It's my turn, then!" Shoshan draws his card.

**All Duelists S.C. 9**

"I… release _Oshawott_ in order to Special Summon _Dewott_, his evolution," he starts.

**Dewott ATK: 2400, DEF: 2000, Level 5**

The small otter vanishes, to be replaced by a taller one. The taller one has two whiskers on each cheek, and his head is no longer white—it's the same light-blue of his body. A dark-blue belt-like feature is wrapped around his waist, two yellow shells attached to it.

"Maybe I can't touch your _Chaos Rose Dragon_, but _Dewott_ has the ability to attack someone directly! And, don't forget, _Noivern_ can attack three times per turn! _Noivern, _get rid of _Meklord Emperor Skiel_!"

"Ngh…! The effect of _Skiel Guard_ activates, cancelling your first attack…" Lester says.

"But you can't stop the other two!" Shoshan points out. "_Noivern, _attack _Meklord Emperor Skiel,_ and then attack Lester directly! _Boomburst!"_

The black-and-purple dragon screeches, and a wave of fire smacks into the giant blue robot. It explodes, and Lester screams.

**Lester's Life Points: 1000**

The maroon-haired boy glares at Shoshan. "You're going to regret doing that…! I activate my Continuous Trap _Infinite Aura_! Now, for every 100 points of damage I take, my card gets 1 Aura Counter."

**Infinite Aura: 30 Aura Counters**

"What's the point of that card?" Shoshan asks.

"You'll find out soon enough," Lester says with a smile.

"Huh… Well, _Dewott's_ going to attack Hana directly! _Double Shell Blade_!" Shoshan orders, pointing at the girl.

Hana says nothing as the otter removes his seashells from his belt. Water gathers around both shells, and _Dewott_ darts forward. He swings the shells, striking Hana with both of them.

**Hana's Life Points: 1600**

"When _Dewott_ successfully attacks someone directly with his effect, I can draw one card." He draws his card and smiles. "Then I activate the effect of _Speed World 2_," Shoshan continues. "I remove 4 Speed Counters and guess what? I have two Speed Spells in my hand! Sorry Hana, you're the one taking the damage."

**Shoshan S.C. 5**

"Not quite," Lester says, riding in front of Hana. "I activate my Trap _Life Exchange_, which redirects the damage to me. Also, I activate the Continuous Trap _Infinite Prison_, which places my _Sky Core_ as a face-down Spell Card by discarding one card from my hand."

'_But… that means… he loses instead. I know he lost his Meklord, but basically forfeiting the Duel? Just what is New World planning?'_ I wonder.

**Lester's Life Points: 0; Infinite Aura: 40 Aura Counters**

"Lester! I could have countered that one too!" Hana exclaims.

"Well, my team's plan had to involve me losing," Lester retorts. "Save your cards for later. Considering that Primo doesn't like going with plans, you might need them."

The boy returns to his team's pit, and out the other side comes Primo, in that weird fusion with his Duel Runner.

**Primo's Life Points: 4000**

"Hmph! Don't expect me to hold back like Lester did," the man states. "The rules of the WRGP force your turn to the End Phase, which means that it's my turn now!"

**Primo, Hana, Jack S.C. 10, Shoshan S.C. 6**

"I Summon _Wise Core_ in Attack Mode," he starts. "Then, I activate the effect of _Speed World 2_! By removing 10 of my Speed Counters, I can destroy one card on the field. I choose… your _Red Nova Dragon_!"

"_Red Nova Dragon_ can't be destroyed by my opponent's card effects," Jack says with a smirk.

"Not after I chain the effect of _Effect Veiler_ to the activation of your dragon's ability," Hana steps in, discarding the monster.

"What in the…? That's Yusei's card!" I exclaim.

"It's probably just another copy of it," Sydney says.

"I guess…" Though, I honestly don't believe that it's another copy. Just who is this Hana?

**Primo's Speed Counters: 0**

A burst of electricity shoots out from the front of Primo's Duel Runner. It tears through the sky and strikes _Red Nova Dragon_. With his effects negated, he can't withstand the effect and shatters.

"I set a card face-down and end my turn," Primo says smugly.

"I won't let you get away with that," Jack growls, drawing his card.

**Jack, Hana S.C. 11, Shoshan S.C. 7, Primo S.C. 1**

The violet-eyed man grins. "I activate my _Speed Spell-Monster Reborn_! By removing 10 of my Speed Counters, I can revive my _Red Nova Dragon_!"

**Jack S.C. 1**

"Again? Really? What _is_ the point of reviving your Synchro, if all we'll do is destroy it?" Hana asks. "If only you knew…"

"Considering I'm the one with the field advantage, I wouldn't boast about destroying my dragon," Jack says. He looks between _Sky Core_ and _Chaos Rose Dragon_, and ends up pointing at the dragon. "_Red Nova Dragon_, destroy her dragon and take away the rest of her Life Points! _Burning Soul Strike!"_

Hana simply smiles and says, "My dragon's Overlay Units have a second purpose. By detaching one of them, _Chaos Rose Dragon_ can survive destruction. Also, in a turn this effect is used, I take no Battle Damage. Looks like your plan for defeating me isn't going to happen!"

The second ball of light floats in front of the silver-and-blue dragon and expands to create a shield. When the red dragon, glowing with power, tries to strike, he bounces off of the barrier. As the barrier shatters, a tornado of rose petals appears on the track, all of them surrounding Hana.

"What is this?" Jack demands.

The girl laughs, "Oh, you must have made the connection with _Effect Veiler_. But my next card… My next card will make the truth undeniable! When _Princess of Roses_ is sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon a Synchro Monster from my Extra Deck that I'm sure you'll all be familiar with!"

The tornado gains intensity, until all of the roses gather at one place. A flash of light, and a very familiar black dragon covered in rose petals appears.

**Black Rose Dragon ATK: 2400, DEF: 1800, Level 7**

I stare at the dragon for a moment. _'That's not possible! There's only one copy of _Black Rose Dragon_ in existence and Akiza has it! Unless… Making a connection with _Effect Veiler_…' _I gasp as I realize what this means.

Hana continues laughing. "I bet you didn't see this coming!" she exclaims. "You want to know why I have this card, don't you? Well… Wait just a moment and I'll explain everything. First I have to activate _Black Rose Dragon's_ effect! When she's Special Summoned, I can destroy all cards on the field!"

"What are you doing?" Primo demands.

"Levelling Shoshan's field, Jack's Spells and Traps, and letting you bring out _Meklord Emperor Wisel Infinity_," Hana says innocently. "What's so wrong with that?"

"Because _Infinite Aura_ can't be destroyed yet, and I don't have a card to protect it!" he hisses.

The storm of roses kicks up, and Shoshan shouts, "I activate my Continuous Trap _Life Aura_! By sending _Xerneas, Restorer of Life_ from my Deck to my Graveyard, I can now prevent all Spell and Trap Cards from being destroyed!"

A barrier of light covers his other two face-downs, the whole of Primo's Spell and Trap Card Zone, Jack's two face-downs, and Hana's cards as well. All of the monsters are exposed to the razor-sharp flowers, and the combination of their explosions covers the field for a moment. When the smoke disappears, _Red Nova Dragon_ is still on the field, and _Meklord Emperor Wisel Infinity_ is now there, but _Chaos Rose Dragon_ is still there, lacking any orbiting lights now. Next to the silver-and-blue dragon, there is a tornado of sparkles.

"The effect of _Chaos Rose Dragon_ can also be applied to card effects, so I detached its last Overlay Unit, _Prince of Stardust_. Oh, this is perfect! For _Prince of Stardust_ has a similar effect that _Princess of Roses_ does, only the monster I get to Special Summon is…"

The sparkles gather together in the shape of a dragon. Then, the sparkles solidify into a two-winged, silver dragon with purple gems set on his chest and shoulders. The dragon's eyes are golden, though not as bright as I'm used to… actually, the entire dragon seems pained, like he doesn't want to be in this Duel.

**Stardust Dragon ATK: 2500, DEF: 2000, Level 8**

Oh. My. God. If this girl has _Stardust Dragon_ and _Black Rose Dragon_… Then… she might be…

"Those aren't your cards! What are you doing with them?" Jack shouts.

'_Yusei! The _Stardust Dragon _and_ Black Rose Dragon_ that Hana has… Are they yours and Akiza's, or do you both have your dragons?'_ I send out the thought.

'_We have our dragons… You don't think that she is… ours…?'_

"No, they're _definitely_ mine," Hana says. "I brought them from my own time, where my parents gave me them! Well, _Black Rose Dragon_ was given to me. _Stardust Dragon_… well, I had to save him from the garbage. And to answer the question you seem to really want to know, well, you know that my first name is Hana, but my last name? Yeah, it's Fudo."

I blink a few times and grip the side of one of the chairs. Sure, I was expecting _that_ as an explanation, but… Everything that she's been saying… _"A broken world"… "death and destruction to everyone I cared about"... "from my own time"..._

She's from the future, isn't she? A future where something bad had to happen. Maybe a future where Yusei and Akiza have died? But… that doesn't explain why Hana is fighting on the side of Yliaster, trying to _destroy_ Neo Domino, when Yusei and Akiza would both be trying to save it…

"What kind of _fool_ do you think I am?" Jack demands.

"Where, or rather, when I come from? A dead one," Hana replies. "Yusei and Akiza really are my parents, well, will be my parents."

"So, you're saying that you're from the future, just like Primo, Lester, and Jakob?" Shoshan asks.

"I am," Hana says. She looks over to Primo. "Can I show them yet?"

"No."

"Ask Jakob."

"He says no."

The magenta-haired girl frowns. "Are you sure…?"

Primo says nothing for a moment. Then he huffs in annoyance, rolls his eyes, and says, "Well, we were _supposed_ to wait until Jakob and Dusk got in the Duel, but Jakob says we can show them now."

"Yes!" she shouts.

My head suddenly burst into pain, and I clench the chair even tighter. I hear Crow shout something about their Marks before everything turns dark.

**XXX**

When I open my eyes, I find that I'm hovering above a mostly barren land. I say mostly because the only thing there is a large patch of dead trees… and something lying in the midst of them. But I can't quite tell what it is…

Glancing over, I see the Signers, plus Leo, Shoshan, and Bruno, are also here, all of them with confused looks on their faces. Something moves in the corner of my vision, and I turn to face it. Primo, Lester, and Jakob are there, as are the three members of Team Broken Time… all of them except for Dusk lacking a helmet. I can now see that Hana has cobalt blue eyes. Also, the four-year-old has hair that's the same golden color that mine is, though her eyes are green.

"What is this place?" I ask.

"This is the future," Jakob says. "The future that the six of us came from."

"Actually, this isn't Earth's future," Dusk says. "I've used my powers to bring the nine of you here first… to the time in the Spirit World coinciding with the fall of humanity… the fall of the Signers, especially."

The forest of dead trees suddenly gets closer, and now we can see what is in the middle of it. The Crimson Dragon lies on the ground, barely moving, and everything except for its head has turned pitch-black. Its head remains crimson, though nowhere near as bright as I've seen it, and the black is mixed in with it.

The other Signer Dragons are nearby, though all of them except for _Stardust Dragon_ aren't moving at all. The silver dragon seems to be in mourning, and also appears to be injured.

"_Ancient Fairy Dragon_…" Luna trails off, staring at her dragon. The once-brightly colored dragon is now dull-colored, and her eyes are blank, not even reacting to Luna saying her name. "What happened here?"

"It's like Dusk said—this coincides with the downfall of humanity," Hana says. "The time I grew up in… and lost almost everyone…"

"All of us lost virtually everything in the Meklord Emperor attack, and the two energy surges that occurred before and after it," Lester adds. "As for how that happened… You get to watch."

The dead trees and the dragons vanish, as does the barren land. Now, we're hovering in front of a future version of Neo Domino City. I know it's Neo Domino because of several of the skyscrapers, and also the fact that the monument at the center of the bridge network is there. _'Wait a moment… There are no bridges… and Satellite is still connected to Neo Domino…'_

"Something is… wrong with this picture…" I mutter.

"To you, yes. But to us? This is what happened in our original timeline," Dusk says. "A timeline where Zero Reverse had been halted…" She laughs a little. "You know quite a bit about that timeline, don't you Sky? Well, this is what happened after the Dark Signer war. Twenty-one years passed until… until… Just watch!"

She swings her arm out, and the scene changes. Well, it really just zooms in, showing us a building that I recognize despite the fact that it isn't demolished and half-sunk into a crater. It shifts to the inside of the building, where my dad, Yusei—lacking a Criminal Mark—and the Goodwin brothers are huddling around a table that appears to have blueprints on it. Yusei has a large stack of papers in his arms.

There isn't any sound, but the four of them seem to be deep in conversation. Yusei shows them the papers—all of them graphs, actually—and the titles range from "Unusual Activity" to "Growth of Synchro Monsters". The graphs seem to coincide with each other.

"That was the first time anyone made the connection… But by then, it was too late to shut off the Reactors…" Dusk says, a slight whimper in her voice.

In slow motion, I watch as one of the walls of the room explodes inward. Also in slow motion are the reactions of my father and Roman, both of them shoving Yusei and Rex, respectively, behind them. The entire room then fills with intense amounts of light energy, and the scene fizzes out.

I look over to Yusei. His face is filled with disbelief and terror at the same time.

"The first meltdown was only the beginning," Jakob says. "The usage of Synchros had become too much for the Reactors—yes, more than one of them—to handle. It wasn't just the one in Neo Domino that did that… It occurred to all of them, and there were at least one hundred worldwide at the time. All of them having the same destructive ability that Zero Reverse did… even in places that didn't have Reactors…"

The scene changes to a place that definitely isn't Neo Domino… I don't even recognize it. The only thing I recognize in it is Jakob, well, a younger version of him—not bald, but his hair is grey. He's playing with a couple of young children—grandchildren, perhaps? They're in a grassy field, one tree with a tire swing nearby. The ground looks like it starts shaking, and the younger Jakob instantly grabs onto the two kids. The shaking continues, several areas in the ground break apart, and the lone tree falls over…

"Ooh! Ooh! Mine next!" Lester exclaims. "Unlike Jakob, I was in one of the cities with a Reactor at the time… Actually, Primo and Jakob were the only two _not_ in Neo Domino at the time… Aurelia doesn't count. She wasn't born yet."

The golden-haired, green-eyed girl rolls her eyes at Lester. "Just show 'em what happened to you."

"Fine."

The scene changes to the inside of an ice cream shop. This time, there is a younger Lester in it, happily eating a banana split. His parents—a brunette woman wearing a blue jacket and yellow skirt and a man with dark green hair wearing a lighter green jacket and grey pants—have their own ice cream. The shop starts shaking at the same time that the power goes out. Lester and his parents hide under the table they were sitting at as the other half of the shop caves in…

"Now, for mine…" Primo says.

Now in a different city, the scene shows a dark-haired woman wearing a white scarf and tan overcoat running down a sidewalk, a younger Primo chasing after her. Both have large smiles on their faces. They pass a building that I can see has the words "Ener-D" on it just as it goes up in a disastrous energy wave. Both of them fall to the ground and stay there as everything shakes. Time seems to fast forward, and the buildings all around are mostly in pieces, the building with the Reactor completely gone. Primo and the woman he was chasing are both alive, though dirty and clearly injured.

"Now for mine, and also what happened to your future selves," Hana says. "At the time, Crow was babysitting me…"

The scene changes to Crow riding on the _Blackbird_, with a version of Hana that's about six years old and wearing a helmet that's slightly too big. Both appear to be laughing, until the Tail of the Dragon on Crow's arm starts glowing. He stops riding and clutches the Mark. A transparent red bubble appears around him and Hana as the ground starts falling apart and buildings topple over. It keeps glowing and stops only after the damage has been done. Crow takes about two steps before he falls. The younger Hana tries to shake him awake…

Another change, and now we see an older version of Akiza, sitting at a desk and flipping through paperwork. She has on a white coat like a doctor does, and she doesn't have the metal hairpiece I'm so used to her having. Instead, her hair is pulled back in a loose ponytail. The small room she's in starts shaking, and a picture on the wall falls down and shatters. Akiza looks up, and then grimaces as her Mark starts glowing. A similar bubble of light surrounds her, and as the roof of the office collapses, the bubble shields her from being crushed. Once everything stops, she looks around and shouts something before she collapses…

Now the scene is in front of the airport, where the older versions of Leo and Luna are. Both of them are carrying suitcases, and Leo says something and walks a little faster. He stumbles as his own Mark—'_wait, what? When did… oh…'_—starts glowing and Luna's does as well. There isn't a bubble, but everything around them collapses. Once it stops, the two exchange horrified looks and I can see Leo mouth (well, he says it, but there still isn't sound) the word "Jack" before they too fall to the ground…

A sudden shift to the inside of a house reveals an older version of me and an older version of Shoshan in a conversation. I can't help but notice that the older Sky has no Criminal Mark either, and both her eyes are gold. _'This is in the world I saw in the diner… but these people are claiming that it is the future. What in the world is really going on?'_

The house falls apart, and I can't see the future Shoshan anymore. Future Sky pokes out from under the rubble, both of her arms cut in places, and her ankle twisted strangely. She screams—now there is sound—and pitches forward on the rubble. Her back glows—the full Seal of the Dragon is on it—and the part of it along the top, where the Wings are, slowly turns black. Future Sky curls up into the fetal position, tears streaming down her face. _"Jack…"_ she mutters…

"That is the end of the scenes that are good for your future selves," Dusk says.

"What about Jack?" I ask. "We haven't seen him yet, and… that thing with the Seal of the Dragon…"

"Uh, since when are Sky and Leo Signers?" Crow adds.

"We'll explain everything at the end," Dusk replies. "You must see what we've gone through first. The loss that we've all suffered… and trust me, the deaths of your future selves is definitely connected to that… because only two of you survived everything… and one of them is me."

She pulls off her helmet and…

**To be continued…**

Me: Evil cliffhanger much? I feel it's pretty accomplished for the 50th chapter.

Sky: You. Freaking. Jerk.

Me: What?

Sky: Just… everything that you put as backstories! And then leaving a cliffhanger like that!

Me: Well… I told you that I'm screwing over the actual version of it. Antinomy and Aporia will both be involved later (and I've obviously made the Emperors of Yliaster be separate people), as will the explanations for Leo being a Signer, why the Crimson Dragon looked as bad as it did, and why Hana had to save _Stardust Dragon_ from the garbage can. Oh, and I'm not forgetting about the Meklord invasion. I'm just making there be an interesting twist.

Leo: What did you do to Jack?

Me: Hmm? Oh, just setting the scenery for the evil stuff. You'll see in the next chapter… A lot's going to be revealed then, actually. *Laughs* Alright, drop a review please? I'm not afraid to answer questions, though you might not get a straight-up answer for them. Also, any criticism is also helpful. You can just say how much you hated the chapter, for all I care. I just want to hear what people think. See you next time!


	51. Chapter 51: The Future

Me: *Facepalm* Oh my God, I didn't know Shade could be this evil.

Shade: You definitely didn't.

Sky: Why? What happened?

Me: So, I sent Meri and Lucy off to work on Rewind, which they _still_ have yet to work on… *Grumbles* But they'd left the rest of my muses an outline of what they wanted to happen in this chapter.

Shade: I approved of some of the death scenes, but I decided that two of them could be more evil. So I switched it around a little.

Me: Even though it's Christmas (or the day after, whatever), I couldn't get Shade to change his mind. So the chapter is still evil.

Sky: Great.

Me: I know. I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds, which is a good thing. Unfortunately, I do own my OCs… I'd say 'enjoy', but this chapter is pretty much 100% evil… Hehe. Merry Christmas?

**Chapter 51**

_She pulls off her helmet and… _reveals that she has golden hair with silver streaks, mismatching eyes (blue and gold) and a small Criminal Mark on her left cheek, shaped like a jagged spiral.

"No," I say firmly. "No. Just… no. There's no way that you're really…"

"I am," she says. "The name I go by now is Dusk, but a long time ago… I went by the name Sky Fudo."

"That can't be," Yusei says. "My sister would never try to destroy Neo Domino."

Dusk glares at him. "You think I'm doing this _willingly_?! We exhausted every possible option—peaceful or otherwise—trying to stop this from happening! This is our last chance… _humanity's_ last chance." She shakes her head. "Enough of that! You need to see exactly what we suffered through! The first of the Signers to die…"

The scenery changes to outside of the Kaiba Dome, where Jack is standing over Carly, shaking his head. The woman is looking up at Jack, a grimace on her face, and she's rubbing her ankle. _"I think I sprained it,"_ she says.

"_Carly, I'm pretty sure you're the only person who can sprain an ankle while standing still,"_ the Jack in the scene says, sighing. _"I have an ankle brace in my Duel Runner, let me help you there."_

He leans over to help her up and almost falls because the ground starts shaking, violently. A large piece of a nearby building falls, shattering upon impact with the ground. Jack quickly helps Carly to her feet. _"I'm not liking this at all. Come on, in all likelihood something would fall on you—"_

Carly screams as the building they are standing next to just falls in their direction. Jack pushes her away, and she falls back to the ground. When she looks up, the dust is still settling. But one thing was clear—there was no Jack.

The scene changes quickly, back to where my future self is lying on top of her house. She's taking short breaths and won't stop shaking.

"_Sky!"_ The older Yusei enters the scene. He crawls over the rubble and kneels down next to Sky. _"Sky! Are you alright?"_

"_J-Jack…"_ she says.

His face darkens, _"I know. I felt him go as well."_

Sky shakes her head. _"No, no, you don't understand… I didn't just _feel_ him go… It… it was like I was there, feeling what he felt… The… the pain… ev-everything being crushed…"_

"_I _do_ understand,"_ Yusei replies. _"Don't you remember? I was the Envoy for a short while before you were."_

"_Oh… oh yeah…"_

Someone groans nearby, and the future Sky and Yusei both look for the source of it. Sky more than Yusei, and she has a look of fear on her face now, rather than the pained one it had. _"Shoshan!"_ she shouts.

"_Sk…y,"_ a muffled voice says, shortly followed by several coughs. The sound of the pieces of the house moving echoes, and a bloody hand is now poking through the rubble about five feet away.

"_Shoshan!"_ Sky scrambles over the pieces, and starts clearing away the ones around the hand. Yusei follows suit and helps pull Shoshan out. His blonde hair is matted with blood and dirt, as are his clothes. The worst of his injuries is a large gash across his chest. _"Oh Shoshan…"_

She moves to press a hand to his wound, the words for a healing spell already on her lips, but the man manages to grab her arm with his left hand and shakes his head. _"You should," _he coughs, _"know better…"_

"_But… but I can't just let you die,"_ she whimpers.

"_Your magic," _another cough, this time spattering some blood,_ "doesn't work on me, remember? The only thing it does is hurt both of us…"_

"_Then I… I can get you to the hospital… No, it collapsed…"_ she starts shaking again. _"There has to be some way! You can't die, Shoshan! You can't!"_

The sound cuts out of the scene, but I can see Shoshan try to tell my future self something, and she nods a few times, sobbing, until his hand falls and his eyes flutter closed. Then the scene simply freezes.

Dusk says, "I don't know _what_ I did to make the universe mad at me, but I'd lost one of my closest friends _and_ the one I loved within minutes of each other…! And that wasn't the last thing that happened that day…"

"I think I'm going to be sick," Shoshan mutters.

I lean over and rub his back a little, keeping my eyes on Dusk. _'That's… in the future I'm in love with Shoshan? I've never even considered my love life…'_ "You said that wasn't the only thing that happened," I note. "So… what else did?"

"The Meklord Emperors invaded," she replies. "That was when all of us _really_ lost everything…"

The scene starts moving again, but first it shifts to a zoomed-out view of the future Neo Domino City, now in shambles. All is quiet for a few moments, until a hole of light opens in the sky. I can't tell how many robots descend from the hole, there are so many. All of them are some variation of the three Meklord Emperors.

Now it zooms into the City, where Lester and his parents are still stumbling away from the remains of the ice cream shop. The three of them freeze and stare up at the sky as the Meklords descend from it. Confused looks cross their faces—what were these robots doing?—until panic sets in as the first of the robots aims a blast at a nearby crowd of people. Screams quickly become silenced by more shots and explosions.

After what seems like an eternity, the three start running, with Lester's mother pulling him along. They run for a while and seem to get lucky until Lester trips and loses his grip on his mother. His parents take a few extra steps before they realize that they're leaving their son behind… and a bright flash of energy from a Meklord Emperor Skiel envelops them. When it clears, there is a crater where his parents were standing… and his parents are gone.

"_No…"_

Once again the screen freezes momentarily, until it pans over to where Primo and that woman were. It seems like there was a slight timeskip, because they're wearing different clothes—some variation of the color grey—and they also have bandages on. They're hiding in a building that has broken windows, and both of them have military-level guns in their hands.

One of the Wisels passes by, and the two exchange a glance. Primo nods, and both of them shoot at the robot. The scene once again lacks sound, so we don't hear the explosion as black smoke surrounds the robot. When it clears, the robot is still moving even though it is severely damaged and letting out electricity in several places. The Wisel turns to face the building, and points one of its arms at them. A burst of energy leaves it, and the two duck away.

The building partially collapses, and Primo pulls himself out of the wreckage. He looks around—the woman is nowhere to be seen. It looks like he shouts for her but no one replies. The grey-haired man scrambles over the wreckage, only to stop when he sees an arm lying on the ground, not attached to a body.

This time it freezes and stays frozen, rather than panning over to the next scene. The younger two Emperors of Yliaster both look depressed and angry at the same time, but they say nothing.

Hana coughs. "You know, the Meklords attacked us for a few months before we figured out why they were attacking. On that first day, though… you saw what happened to Primo and Lester, nothing really happened to Jakob, and again, Aurelia wasn't born yet, but the rest of us suffered…"

"You asked what else happened that day?" Dusk interjects. "Two more Signers died. One of them I'll spare you from watching," she glances at Leo while she says this, and then looks quickly between Luna and Crow before closing her eyes and continuing, "but the other you will have to see."

The image returns to Sky and Yusei, no longer on the rubble on the house but next to it. They've both been crying, my future self more so than Yusei, but they're not at the moment. They're staring at the Meklords as they descend on Neo Domino. Then the explosions start, and Sky wipes the semi-dried tears off her face.

"_C'mon Yusei, we can't let these things hurt innocent people,"_ she says, takes two steps, and screams in pain again. The Seal of the Dragon lights up, the Wings still black, and Yusei's Mark lights up as well. We watch as the Mark underneath the Front Claw turns black as well.

"_Ngh…! Not Leo,"_ Yusei says. _"Sky…"_

My future self had continued walking away, both her fists clenched and her shoulders shaking. She doesn't stop, but says, _"I'm going to find Luna, alright? Leo's death…" _she shivers. _"Nope, not talking about it. You go find Crow and Akiza."_

The image now shifts to the older Luna sitting in an alley, head in her hands and crying even harder than I'd watched my older self cry. Speaking of my older self, she runs into the alley. _"Luna…"_

The green-haired woman looks up. _"We only wanted to surprise you guys… not something like this. And now Leo is… Leo is…!"_

"_I know," _Sky mutters. _"I felt what he felt. You have to understand, he only wanted to protect you. Had he not, well, I would be talking to him right now instead of you."_

"_You… felt it?"_

"_Yes… It's not a pleasant experience… Now, come on. We're going to go meet up with Yusei, Crow, Hana, and Akiza."_

Another timeskip, and now Crow, Hana, Yusei, Akiza, Luna, and Sky are running down a wide street that is riddled with craters. There are several other people on the street, trying to get away from the robots. All except for one boy, crouched down next to one of the craters, a Skiel already prepping a blast at him.

My future self shouts, _"Look out!"_ and dives in front of the kid at the same time that the energy burst fires.

The future Yusei gets a look of horror on his face, but it vanishes when it is revealed that a red bubble had appeared around Sky and taken the blast. _"Don't do that again,"_ he says.

"_Wasn't planning to,"_ she replies, wincing. _"I think the Crimson Dragon has had enough for the day."_

The kid that Sky saved—Lester, actually—mutters, _"Th-thanks for saving me."_

"_No problem kid,"_ Sky says. _"Although… never mind. Stay with us, we'll keep you safe."_

Yet another timeskip, and it seems that they've split into groups, Sky, Crow, Lester, and Akiza running around the City, looking for survivors and keeping a wary eye out on the robots. None of them seem to be attacking them, though. Until they run past a fountain—the one at the center of Poppo Time—and one of the Granels starts following them. They don't realize it either, until Crow just happens to look back.

In a split second, the Meklord lets off a blast, and Crow shouts, _"No!"_

An explosion gives sound to the otherwise silent Poppo Time Square, and the blast makes it impossible to see for a couple of seconds. When it dims, a crater remains where the future Sky had been standing, but she was actually lying next to it.

She screams in pain for the third time today as the Seal of the Dragon glows. The Tail slowly turns black. _"No! No! I refuse… I refuse to let him die again!" _Sky shouts. _"I can't lose him again…! Crow…!" _

The Mark of the Tail returns to glowing bright red; instead the Front Claw turns black. A crimson glow fills the crater, and when it dims, someone groans. _"What the hell was that about?"_ a grumpy voice—Crow's grumpy voice—asks.

"_I… I think… I think I killed Luna,"_ the future Sky mutters before collapsing.

The scene freezes again. "As it turns out, I _did_ kill Luna," Dusk says. "In trying to keep Crow alive, I transferred her life energy to him… I didn't mean to, but that's simply what happened."

"Hey, what was that about me dying again?" Crow asks.

"Oh yes, you had the less evil Dark Signer arc," Dusk notes. "Sure, the second time this played through, it went a bit different, so I didn't say that specific line… In the original timeline, the Tail of the Dragon was passed from Yusei to Sky to you, back to Yusei, back to Sky, and finally stopping on you. Each time it passed around was because of the result of a Shadow Duel."

"Uh…"

Dusk sighs and rolls her eyes. "Okay, so I lost in a Shadow Duel with Roman, and was supposed to become a Dark Signer, but Yusei passed the Mark to me, dying in the process. Wiraqocha Rasca still tried to possess me and managed to kill you, and you became a Dark Signer. Then, during the war, you were about to defeat Goodwin—a Signer in the original timeline—but I switched it to me losing, then passed the Mark to you. Wiraqocha Rasca managed to possess me after that, and I stayed a Dark Signer until the Crimson Dragon must've given Yusei's good side a second chance, and he became the Envoy of the Crimson Dragon. Once he defeated me, he had to go, and I became the Envoy instead. Then, I had to defeat a Dark Signer Yusei."

Jack snorts, "My friends would never be Dark Signers."

"Oh?"

The screen shows three images now—Crow, Yusei, and myself all as Dark Signers, with the Earthbound Immortals in the background. The Dark Signer Crow is grinning, locked in the Shadow Duel with Kalin—and winning. My dark self stands next to _Netherworld Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca_, laughing as the rest of Akiza's Life Points fall to zero. Finally, there is the Dark Signer Yusei, standing on the Stairway of the Dragon Star, not yet in a Duel, yet glaring at a Sky in the image.

It quickly changes to a blank white as Dusk says, "We're not here to talk about that part of our pasts. Rather, you need to see the more torturous aspect... for the Meklord attack lasted much longer than one day. It lasted for an entire year. Though, I suppose not everything was bad. Aurelia was born six months after the start of the attack, and for once I regained happiness. All of us did."

"Especially after my dad and Crow accidentally discovered why the Meklords were attacking us," Hana adds. "You see, Ener-D doesn't only lie in a Reactor, it rests at the center of everyone's hearts as well. Being there, it reflected the inner most desires of people, mostly that of hatred or anger. The use of Synchro Summons were showing those desires to the Ener-D in the Reactors, and it took a life of its own…"

"The Meklords were created in order to destroy the human race because of the hidden desires," Jakob says. "Though, not all was lost."

The scene below changes again, now showing the older Crow sitting on the edge of the roof of an old building, looking over the destroyed Satellite. The robots still roam the streets and the skies, but not near the building Crow is on. Then, the older Yusei walks up behind him and says, _"I thought I'd find you here."_

The ginger grunts in reply. _"Shouldn't you be in the bunker? I mean, your niece was born only a few hours ago. I'm sure Sky wants all the support she can get."_

"_Sky's asleep. As for your question, shouldn't you also be down there?"_

Crow continues to stare at the horizon. _"Yeah…" _He pauses as he swings his legs back onto the roof and turns to face Yusei. _"What did you want?"_

"_To know how you're doing,"_ Yusei replies. _"You've been distant for a long time now. We're all getting worried…"_

"_I'm… I'm fine,"_ Crow mutters. _"Don't get yourself worked up over me."_

The older Yusei snorts, _"Okay, tell me the truth. You're obviously _not_ fine."_

"_You're not gonna let this go, are you? Well… the truth is… I really don't know what to feel. After everything that's happened… losing more than half of my friends and family, and… and what happened with Luna…"_

"_That wasn't your fault, Crow,"_ Yusei interrupts.

"_That doesn't make me feel any better! I know what happened to Leo—how he died trying to save Luna. And not even an hour later, Sky gets targeted by one of those robots, I push her out of the way, and bam! _I_ should be the one dead, not Luna. Leo's sacrifice was pretty much for nothing…"_

Future Yusei goes to reply, but freezes, a look of horror on his face. Hovering next to them is one of the Granels, its weaponized arm pointing at them. In a split second, the energy burst shoots at them, and Yusei dives forward…

An explosion illuminates the surrounding area for several seconds. When it dims, _Shooting Star Dragon_ is flying in between the robot and the two Signers. The dragon flaps his wings twice, staring at the robot.

"_What in the…? I've never been able to Summon _Shooting Star Dragon_ outside of a Turbo Duel… and I don't even have a Duel Disk with me,"_ the future Yusei says. _"Then how…?"_

The Granel lowers its arm and to an extent nods its head. Suddenly the future Yusei doubles over with a grunt of pain, both hands clutching the sides of his head. But this only occurs for a few seconds, and his troubles stop. He mumbles a few things that I don't catch.

"_Whoa Yus'. You alright?"_

"_I'm fine,"_ he replies with a grin. _"I know how to make the robots stop attacking us."_

"_Really?"_

"_Yeah. It all lies with Accel Synchro, and the desires one has hidden within. If we spread word that all we need to do is stop being greedy and hateful… with our Accel Synchros being proof of this… they'll stop attacking."_

The scene freezes, and I stare at the four-year-old on Team Broken Time. _'So… she's my daughter as well? Everything is so strange…'_

"Sure enough, we spread word. And it worked for a while… a little under four years," Primo says.

"We'd rebuilt so much; even Duel Monsters had made a comeback," Jakob adds.

"But guess what? In the end, it wasn't enough! Not everyone wanted to change and so… The part of Ener-D that had come alive decided on an endgame. Kill all humans, no exceptions," Lester says.

The scene once again shows the Meklords attacking everything, with Aurelia, Hana, Sky, Akiza, Yusei, and Crow running down a street, trying to dodge all of the blasts.

"But even this went too far… and a second energy surge occurred," Dusk adds.

The ground cracks and the future Akiza screams as she loses her footing to the chasm. The future Yusei shouts, _"No!"_ and dives after her. Sky manages to catch his ankle, and now we can see Yusei and Akiza dangling off the side of the newly-formed cliff, Yusei having a death-grip on Akiza's left wrist. Crow and the two children are on the other side of the chasm and can only watch.

Sky tries to pull them up several times, but each time she fails. Even her powers wouldn't work. _"Ngh…! I… I can't pull both of you up…"_

"_Magic, then!" _Yusei grunts.

"_Hasn't worked in three years,"_ she replies. _"I'm sorry, I'm just not strong enough."_

"_Then… then… you still have to try! I'm not letting go of Akiza, even if it means I'll die too!" _he shouts.

"_Now you're just speaking nonsense," _the magenta-haired woman says. _"Hana shouldn't have to grow up an orphan, Yusei. If Sky can't pull both of us up, then let her at least save you."_

"_No! There's no… there's no way I'm letting you go!"_

The future Akiza closes her eyes for a few seconds. _"I see how it has to be, then,"_ she says, opening her eyes again. _"I love you, Yusei. Sky… please take care of them for me, alright?"_

My future self tries one last time and almost—only a few inches more—manages to pull them up. She shakes her head. _"Akiza, don't you dare…"_

"_What don't you understand?! I'm _not_ letting you go!"_ Yusei shouts.

"_You don't have to,"_ Akiza replies. With that, she squeezes Yusei's arm once more… and forces her arm out of his grasp.

"_NO!"_

"_MOMMY!"_

For a few moments, everyone is frozen. Then gravity and common sense kick in. The future Akiza falls and disappears from view as Sky pulls Yusei to safety. The future Yusei doesn't do anything; he merely stares forward with a blank look on his face. A single Duel Monsters card falls in front of his face; _Black Rose Dragon_.

Then the Marks of the Dragon light up, and both Crow and Sky scream a little. Yusei still does nothing for a couple seconds, until he clenches both fists and his Mark glows brighter. A strange aura gathers around him, glowing a deep red, and he starts hovering a few feet off the ground. The other two Signers end up on the ground, both screaming in pain.

"_Yusei! What are you doing?"_ Crow shouts. _"Agh…!"_

"_Stop it, Yusei! Whatever you're doing, it hurts!"_ Sky adds. _"Stop!"_

"_It's too late… this is the end… for everyone!"_ he shouts. His aura glows brighter, and both Sky and Crow grab their heads. In the sky, the robots start exploding, one by one. The ground continues falling apart, though not near them. However, everywhere else, half-fixed buildings seem to disappear in thin air, and many other people scream.

"_Yu…sei…"_ the future Crow mumbles before closing his eyes and falling limp.

"_CROW!"_ the future Sky screams. _"No… no… Yusei, stop it before you… you kill me as well!"_

Emotionless, the man cloaked in red light says, _"Kill them all."_

Sky closes her eyes, and she too gains an aura, though it is pure red. _"Please Yusei… you have to… you have to… STOP!"_

The aura around Sky gathers above her, momentarily looking like the Crimson Dragon, until it turns into a spear of light, shooting through the mixed light. Simultaneously, the destruction stops, and Yusei's aura fades. He falls to the ground, his eyes shut.

"_Yusei!"_ Sky rushes to his side. _"No, I didn't mean for this to happen…"_ She stiffens up and stares at the sky. _"Wake him up! Please!"_

"_Meema!" _young Aurelia shouts.

Sky jerks her attention to the other side of the chasm, where her daughter and her niece are both staring at her expectantly. Hana, especially, because she shouts, _"Wh-what did you do to Daddy?"_

The gold-and-silver haired woman glances back at her brother. _"I don't know. But… but… he's not going to wake up. Ever."_

"_You… you killed him?!"_ Hana screeches.

"_I might as well have. No, I didn't kill him. The Crimson Dragon has… has placed him in a permanent coma."_ And finally, the events catch up to her and the tears start flowing. She rests her hand on Yusei's arm, and a bright flash of red envelops them, Hana, and Aurelia. When it dims, nothing seems to have changed.

The scene suddenly turns white. I honestly don't know what to say about it. I mean… that mysterious light? And Yusei? Trying to destroy the world… without the influence of anything? Even if Akiza died like that… I just can't believe that he would do something like that. So then… why would he do something like that?

**To be continued…**

Sky: *Jaw drop*

Me: Don't even start yelling at me. This is what my muses decided on.

Sky: Well… um… how did the future Leo die?

Me: *Leans over, whispers something*

Sky: ERGH! THAT'S DISGUSTING!

Shade: I wish that was my idea.

Sky: Whose was it?

Me: Meri's. For some reason, she hates Leo.

Leo: Hey!

Me: I said _she_ hates you, not me. Anywho… I had a wonderful Christmas. Celebrated it _four_ times. My parents _finally_ got us a Wii U, I got these two books I _really_ wanted… Oh! And I got _Fire Emblem Awakening_ and _Final Fantasy IV._ _Awakening_ is extremely fun… I'm already on my second playthrough of it.

Sky: Uh… When did you get it?

Me: Not last Sunday, but the one before. I wasn't allowed to play it until last Thursday, and I beat it last Sunday. Man, I did _not_ see the ending coming… Ah well! Any questions or comments? Leave a review! I don't mind answering them, although you might end up with more questions than answers when I reply. Hehe. Well, thanks for reading!


	52. Chapter 52: The Circuit

Me: Yay, my muses are finally agreeing to work on Blue Sky! They kinda got stuck at this one part, right about halfway through this chapter.

Sky: So _that's_ what took so long. I don't want this update, and yet you have me really curious.

Me: Hehe, too bad not all of the questions get answered.

Sky: Oh, great…

Me: Don't worry, they'll get answered eventually, but probably only in the climax of the Duel. Speaking of which, the Duel starts back up halfway through the chapter (hence why it took so long). I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds, but I do own my OCs, and some of the backstory stuff. Enjoy?

Chapter 52

But my questions remain unanswered as the scene changes once more, over to some building—I don't know what one—with the future Sky, Hana, Aurelia, Lester, and the comatose Yusei. Hana and Aurelia are next to the bed that Yusei is on, and Lester is leaning against the wall.

Sky paces back and forth, clearly trying not to burst into tears again. _"There has to be something… I refuse to… to let him go…" _A short pause, and she continues, _"That light has to mean something. A new power, perhaps? But why… why does it come when I'm the only Signer who is really alive…?"_

"_I have no idea what you're talking about,"_ Lester comments. _"I thought that light was already one of your powers."_

"_No, it's never happened before…"_ She clenches a fist for a moment, and then lets her hand relax. _"I feel… strange, though. Like I just ate a lot of sugar."_ She shrugs, _"It's probably nothing."_

"_I feel it too," _Hana adds.

"_Me three!"_ Aurelia exclaims. _"'S like the time I ate fouw chocolate baws in two minutes!"_

"_Now that you mention it, I do feel like running around,"_ the maroon-haired boy says.

Sky stares at the future Yusei. She is silent for a few moments before nodding. _"I think… maybe… we need to look for other survivors. There has to be more than the four_," she flinches and amends her statement, _"five of us."_

The scene freezes again.

"That… didn't answer any of my questions," I mumble.

"You mean why Yusei did that?" Dusk replies. Her face darkens a little, "I honestly don't know why. Even though I never gave up on him waking up… he's still in the future, in the Ark Cradle, with Paradox and Z-ONE. I have yet to learn the truth of what happened, because I am certain that the Crimson Dragon hid things from me. Me! Its Envoy that had to suffer so much, from spending almost an hour in the Netherworld to losing everyone…"

"You've been in the Netherworld?" Yusei asks.

My future self nods. "You have as well. The time that you and my past self fell into the Reactor? That dimension was the outskirts of it."

I guess it would fit, because of all those ghosts… but… my dad is there, so… he's in the Netherworld… I never realized… "What… what about that light?" I ask.

She smiles sadly. "That light… that light was my curse. Well, Yusei's curse since it was his own powers that caused it… A curse, nonetheless. We didn't know what it did until a few years later, after we'd found Primo, Antinomy, and Paradox in London."

'_A… curse?' _And then I gasp. "Lester! Lester mentioned something about a curse when we met at the monument."

"I did?" Lester asks, a quizzical look on his face. "Oh yeah, I did. Well, it's not active at the moment, just dormant. That's what I meant."

"So then… what curse?" I ask.

"You know how apocalyptic stories generally end with either complete annihilation or… repopulating the Earth?" Dusk asks. "That isn't what happened. Mostly because that light slowed our passage through time, effectively making us and anyone I touched, because that's how it spread, immortal."

Okay. Not what I was expecting. Definitely not. I was expecting something along the lines of more death. But… immortal? That's something that happens in stories, not real life! And this ability is supposedly dormant inside of me and Yusei! Shouldn't it have activated during or after our crash? I know it definitely wasn't activated, because I've definitely touched other people after it, and that glow didn't happen…

My friends don't take this news too lightly, and for about ten minutes, Jack and Crow argue with Dusk about the logic behind it, etc.

"Enough!" Dusk shouts. "The story is almost done… actually, all I really have to say is that we found Z-ONE quite literally in the middle of nowhere and that we don't know what he looks like… or if Z-ONE is his real name…"

"I was the last to be found, many years after Z-ONE," Jakob says. "I had truly thought I was the last human alive, but I regained some hope when I found them."

The scene changes once more, to where Jakob—now clearly older than the last scene he was in—staggering past a ruined city.

Then it zooms in, where Aurelia scrambles to the top of a piece of rubble to get a better look—the future Jakob can be seen in the distance, but barely. _"Meema!"_ she cries. _"Thewe's a stwanger neawby!"_

"_Another survivor?"_ Sky walks out of the shadows of an alley. _"I thought we'd found them all… and it's been so long since the… incident."_ She stops and calls, _"Hey! Over here!"_

The future Jakob spins around, and doesn't move. Sky and Aurelia run over to him. _"Are you… real?"_ he asks.

"_I should hope so!"_ Sky replies. _"I'm sorry, if I'd known you were out there I would have kept looking, maybe caught you at a younger age…" _she sticks her hand out. _"The name is Sky. This is my daughter, Aurelia."_

"_Jakob,"_ he replies, shaking her hand. The moment he lets go, the same crimson glow envelops him for several seconds. A look of confusion crosses his face, _"What…?"_

"_It's a long story,"_ she replies. _"I'll explain once we get back to the others."_

"_There are more survivors?"_

"_Seven more, although one is in a coma."_ A brief look of sorrow crosses her face. _"Let's go!"_

"After that," Dusk says as the scene freezes, "we really started to come up with a plan to return the world to where it once was. Time travel seemed to be the only option, and somehow… Z-ONE knew exactly what he was doing. Only two years after we started on that plan, we successfully got a time machine working."

"Then… what? You started screwing with the past?" Crow asks.

"We tried to _fix_ the past, you idiot," Lester says, his voice layered with annoyance.

"Ener-D was undeniably the cause of the destruction, so our main goal was to get rid of it," Dusk says. "Each time we tried, it didn't work. Even talking directly to the leaders of the project…"

The scene changes once more, to where Rex, Roman, and Dr. Fudo are standing next to a table that has blueprints for the Reactor on it. They aren't staring at the blueprints, though. They're staring at Dusk, clothed entirely in black, who appears in the room, seemingly out of thin air.

"_Rex Goodwin… Roman Goodwin… and Ryuu Fudo,"_ she says. _"You must understand how daring this is, me talking to the three of you. But our measures have to grow drastic; none of them have worked so far…"_

"_Who are you?"_ Dr. Fudo asks. _"And, why do you look so familiar?"_

Dusk smiles sadly. _"I cannot say who I am, in fear of a time paradox… I will say that I am from the future. One that has been destroyed by a combination of Synchro Monsters… and Ener-D."_

"_No, that can't be right,"_ he replies. _"The Planetary Particle is not that unstable that it would turn catastrophic by a card game."_

"_It's what I lived through," _she says, shrugging. _"Believe it or not, it's your choice. But please… not only for my own sake but yours as well. Figure out a way to make it stable, or shut it down."_

Then she vanishes into a bright light, the time portal.

"…still failed," Dusk finishes. "It merely delayed the inevitable. The timestream is not one that likes to change. The only way to change the past is by drastic measures."

"Which is how the idea to cause Zero Reverse came into existence," Jakob says.

They interfered with time. That's what must have caused the split into two different timelines; one with and one without Zero Reverse, the latter being the one I've lived through. But for Dusk, and the other five, it seems like they've lived through both timelines. That they know everything about both.

A realization hits me. If Zero Reverse was their plan to permanently fix the future, then why are they here? Why are they trying to destroy everything, if Zero Reverse should have taken care of their problems?

"It didn't work," Dusk says. "Disaster that it was, Zero Reverse was pointless. The event was covered up, and Ener-D still existed. It still spread around the world. It looked hopeless for a while after that—after all, absorbing how the events of that changed our lives was certainly… terrifying."

The scene seems to take a mind of its own, because it changes to show a strange plate. Its background is purple, with yellow lines travelling across it in the rough shape of an infinity symbol. There are places where the individual lines don't line up.

"Trying to speed us along, are you Z-ONE?" Dusk mutters. "No matter. The thing that you see is the Circuit. Powered by energy released from Duels, this device will allow us to see our full plan through—the destruction of Neo Domino City, and of Ener-D!"

"Exactly how do you plan to do that?" I ask.

"The Circuit will allow our time machine to bring the entirety of Ark Cradle into this time," she replies. A look crosses her face, something like a mix of joy and sorrow. "Then… Ark Cradle will descend upon this city. Its own Reactor, that helps power the Circuit from the future, spins in reverse. When it collides with the one here… the blast will be large enough to erase both Neo Domino and Satellite from the map."

"All we need now is to finish our Duel," Jakob adds. "The Circuit will be completed when either Team New World or Team Broken Time wins."

**XXX**

I jolt forward, realizing I'm back in the pit. _'So… that's what is going to happen if we don't win. Yliaster really will destroy Neo Domino…'_

"What in the world was that?" Sydney demands. "You and Shoshan, and the others! You vanished into thin air for almost ten minutes!"

"It's a… long story," I reply. "Just know that we can't lose this Duel, or else Neo Domino is going to get destroyed."

"O…kay, but you better explain _everything_ later," she says.

We both turn our attention back to the Duel. It seems that we missed something, because _Red Nova Dragon_ has been destroyed again, _Chaos Rose Dragon_ is no longer on the field, both Shoshan and Jack only have 500 Life Points left, and it's Shoshan's turn.

**Shoshan S.C. 9, Primo, Jack S.C. 3, Hana S.C. 6**

My green-eyed friend studies his hand for a few moments. "I… I Summon _Azelf, Being of Willpower_ in Defense Mode."

**Azelf, Being of Willpower ATK: 1500, DEF: 1500, Level 3**

_Azelf_ has a small blue-gray body, two tails that each have a red stone in the center, and a blue triangle-shaped hat on his head. His eyes are golden, and a red gem is in the center of the hat. The monster's tails curl in front of him, and he turns blue.

"And then…" he looks at Hana's field, where there is still a card face-down. "I'll go ahead and use four Speed Counters again, since I still have the two Speed Spells in my hand!

**Shoshan S.C. 5**

The magenta-haired girl scowls and says, "Fine! But Aurelia is going to defeat you!" The burst of electricity from Shoshan's Duel Runner hits her.

**Hana's Life Points: 0**

She glares at him one more time, before returning to her team's pit and Aurelia replaces her.

The young girl comes out, wearing a golden jacket and black cargo pants, on a Duel Board of her own. It is the same color as her jacket, with a fin on the back of it. There are silver stars on both sides of the fin.

**Aurelia's Life Points: 4000**

Aurelia swerves past Jack and, as she passes Primo, smiles and gives a short nod. Then she says, "Since the Duel is in the End Phase, I can Special Summon _Staw Paladin of Watew_!" Though she can't pronounce the letter 'r', I think I know what she's trying to Summon.

**Star Paladin of Water ATK: 0, DEF: 0, Level 4**

Despite the name, the monster that appears is little more than a blob of liquid. It doesn't have a face, arms, legs, _anything_ other than a faint star drawn on its front. But the lack of power means it probably has a good effect…

"That's all I have, you can go Pweemo," she says. I try to hold in a laugh.

"For the last time, there's an 'r' in my name, not a 'w'!" he says, annoyed.

"I know," she says. "I can't say it wight."

Primo sighs. "Fine then, I'll just take my turn."

**Shoshan S.C. 6, Primo, Jack S.C. 4, Aurelia S.C. 7**

He scans his hand for a few moments, then declares, "I release my _Wisel Carrier_ in order to upgrade it to _Wisel Carrier 3_!"

**Wisel Carrier 3 ATK: 1200, DEF: 1000, Level 3; Meklord Emperor Wisel Infinity ATK/DEF: 2500 to 2900**

The lower part of the silver robot vanishes, and then reappears, only the new version is designed different and slightly larger.

"But my carrier isn't the only part getting upgraded," Primo continues with a grin, "That was a Special Summon, and so is this! I release my _Wisel Attack_ in order to Summon _Wisel Attack 3_!"

**Wisel Attack 3 ATK: 1600, DEF: 0, Level 3; Meklord Emperor Wisel Infinity ATK: 2900 to 3300**

This time, it is one of the arms that disappears. When it reappears, the arm has gained two gold blades, and a slight green glow.

"_Wisel Attack 3_ allows for piercing damage," Primo says, "so my _Meklord Emperor Wisel Infinity_ will attack your _Azelf, Being of Willpower_!"

I watch the attack with curiosity. Sure, the attack will probably finish of Shoshan's Life Points, but why attack him instead of Jack, who is pretty much wide open? just what is their plan in this Duel? The blast of energy hits Shoshan head-on.

**Shoshan's Life Points: 0**

"Dammit, looks like that's my cue," Sydney says, hopping on her sleek black Runner. "You don't mind if I completely destroy them, do you?" she asks, looking at me.

"Not at all," I say. "Broken Time and New World need to be stopped."

She grins wildly as Shoshan comes into the pit, slightly battered from the attack. He passes the baton and the cards he had over to Sydney, saying, "When you have a chance, use the second effect of _Life Aura_. But _please_ be careful with _Xerneas_. He's one of my two aces… and I've never parted with him since I found him."

"No prob," she replies. "Don't worry, I'll show that Meklord that messing with my friends is a bad idea." Then Sydney bolts out of the pit, quickly catching up to the other three Duelists.

**Sydney's Life Points: 4000**

I look over to Shoshan, whose hands are visibly twitching, and his face is as pale as I've ever seen on anyone. "Shoshan, are you okay?" I ask.

"N-not really," he mumbles in reply. "It's not every day you get to watch your own death, I mean. I'm glad Primo chose to get rid of me. I don't think that I would have fought very well if I'd stayed in."

"I know how you feel," I reply. "You know how Dusk kept mentioning that I knew what happened in the 'original' timeline, the one without Zero Reverse?"

He nods.

"Well, I watched Yusei and Crow both flat-out die, then them as Dark Signers, which is about as pleasant as their deaths, and the other Sky sacrifice herself in an attempt to save Goodwin. Then I watched as, right after the final Dark Signer was defeated, as Yusei and the other Sky came less than an inch from dying permanently," I explain.

"Huh. Sounds… uhm… rather torturous." Shoshan says, though it's more like a question, the way his voice raises a pitch at the end.

"It really was, especially since I promised not to talk about it to anyone," I say. "Guess it doesn't make much of a difference now, since Dusk and the others half-revealed what I saw, but there were _definitely_ some details that they didn't share or even hint at that are quite interesting."

"Like what?"

I chuckle a little as I think of the things I haven't told them. Kalin is my cousin… Goodwin is Angel and Crow's father, making Roman their uncle… oh, and I'm the descendant of the envoys of both light and darkness, thanks to my mom's side of the family. "Sorry, not sharing that just yet. Maybe once this all finishes, and I'll have more time to actually enjoy life."

"Oh, okay," he says and stops talking.

Once again, I've missed out on a turn, but it wasn't very important—just everyone gaining a Speed Counter, Jack Summoning _Dark Resonator_ in Defense Mode, and him setting a card face-down. Also Aurelia drawing her card at the start of her turn.

**Sydney S.C. 7, Primo, Jack S.C. 5, Aurelia S.C. 8**

The young girl looks at her hand and smiles. "Thanks to having a 'Staw Paladin' on the field, I can Special Summon two of the ones I have in my hand—the _Staw Paladin of Earth_ and _Staw Paladin of Wind_!"

Once again, all of the 'r's are pronounced as 'w's. But why? She's technically older than four, because of the whole immortal thing… wait a moment. I'm not sure about the others, but I know that Primo can connect with his Runner—he's in that position right now—and when Yusei defeated him last time, I _definitely_ saw mechanical parts rather than human guts inside of him. That's alright with me, since I'd really not like to see human innards, but it doesn't add up.

If they're supposed to be immortal, then why is Primo _exactly_ like one of the Duel Bots—an android? I'll have to ask when I join the Duel…

**Star Paladin of Earth ATK: 0, DEF: 0, Level 4; Star Paladin of Wind ATK: 0, DEF: 0, Level 4**

The two new monsters are little more than spheres of earth and wind gusts, respectively. They both also have stars on them.

Suddenly, the star on the one made of earth starts glowing orange, the one on the orb of wind gusts glows green, and the one on the water droplet glows pale blue.

**Star Paladin of Earth DEF: 0 to 1500; Star Paladin of Wind ATK: 1500; Star Paladin of Water ATK/DEF: 2000**

"I bet you want to know why they did that, wight?" Aurelia asks with a giggle. "_Earth_ gains 500 DEF fow all 'Staw Paladins' on the field, _Wind_ is the opposite, gaining ATK instead, and _Watew_ gains 1000 ATK and DEF for the ones othew than it on the field. I switch _Watew_ into Attack Mode and… _Wind_ and _Watew_, attack _Dawk Wesonator_!"

'_So, she knows about the battle-survival effect that works once per turn,'_ I think. _'Smart girl.'_

Jack looks annoyed as the two elements hit his fiendish monster, destroying it. But at least he doesn't take the damage that would wipe out the rest of his Life Points.

"I set two cawds and end my tuwn," she says with glee.

"You know, I wonder why they let you into the WRGP," Sydney says. "You're what, three?"

"Nuh-uh! I'm oldew than you!" Aurelia snaps.

Sydney laughs. "Really now? You can't even pronounce the letter 'r'!"

"Because I'm the one who had to get stuck at the age of fouw!" she screams. "'S not my fault!"

Sydney rolls her eyes and draws her card.

**Sydney S.C. 8, Primo, Jack S.C. 6, Aurelia S.C. 9**

"Heh, I've got the perfect cards! I Summon the Tuner _Fang Scout_ in Defense Mode!" she exclaims.

**Fang Scout ATK: 500, DEF: 500, Level 2**

A baby wolf with dark grey fur appears. On the center of his forehead is a mark of a crescent moon, which is lighter grey than the rest of his fur. The pup growls playfully.

"When _Fang Scout_ is Summoned, I can Special Summon a 'Fang' Normal Monster from my Deck, like my _Silver Fang_!" Sydney continues.

**Silver Fang ATK: 1200, DEF: 800, Level 3**

A wolf with silver-white fur appears between the baby wolf and the blue-grey creature that Shoshan had left behind.

I smile. The last time Sydney played her _Fang of Night_, she didn't have enough time to reveal his effect. But I know what it is—and that Meklord Emperor isn't going to like it.

"I Tune my Level 2 _Fang Scout_ with my Level 3 _Silver Fang_ and Level 3 _Azelf, Being of Willpower_!" she declares. "_The moon shines down and the great wolf howls! Synchro Summon! Roar, Fang of Night_!"

**Fang of Night ATK: 2800, DEF: 2000, Level 8**

A man with tanned skin appears. He is dressed entirely in black fur that is the same color of that on his head. His head is that of a wolf.

Aurelia and Primo sigh simultaneously. "Anothew Synchwo." Aurelia comments. "Gweat."

"Wait until you see his effect," Sydney replies. "But until then, I'll make do with setting a card face-down and… attacking your _Star Paladin of Water_."

"Nope!" the golden-haired girl exclaims. "I got a Twap! _Negate Attack_! Sowwy, my monstews need to stay safe!"

My brown-haired friend glares at the girl for a moment, and says, "Fine. I end my turn."

"Then it's my move!" Primo announces, speeding in front of everyone.

**Sydney S.C. 9, Primo, Jack S.C. 7, Aurelia S.C. 10**

"Hmph! You Summoned a Synchro Monster, and you'd be an idiot to think I wouldn't try absorbing it," Primo says. "Go ahead, _Meklord Emperor Wisel_, absorb that _Fang of Night_!"

Tentacles of light come out from the robot's chest compartment, aiming for the wolf-man. Sydney smiles as her monster holds up the small claw-like dagger he has. The dagger turns into purple energy, and the energy sphere grows. It surrounds the wolf-man, and when the light-tentacles try to penetrate it, they can't.

"What… what is this?" the red-eyed Duelist demands.

"'This' is my monster's effect!" Sydney says. "Once a Duel, when _Fang of Night_ is selected as the target of a card effect, that effect is instantly negated! But it gets better—all other monsters on the field are destroyed. Then, anyone who controls monsters takes damage equal to the number of monsters they lost times one thousand!"

"No… way…" Primo says, snarling.

The purple orb explodes, and it destroys the silver robot and the three spheres of elements. Both Primo and Aurelia swerve a little, but Jack remains unaffected due to him not controlling any monsters. Primo takes it the worst because of him controlling enough monsters to run out of Life Points.

**Primo's Life Points: 0; Aurelia's Life Points: 1000**

"Hmph! _Infinite Aura _gains 40 more counters, and I use the effect of _Infinite Prison_ to place _Wise Core_ as a Spell Card in my Spell and Trap Card Zone," Primo says.

**Infinite Aura: 80 Aura Counters**

"I have something else, too!" Aurelia says. "When a 'Staw Paladin' is destroyed by a card effect, I can Special Summon _Staw Paladin of Fiwe_ from my Deck in Defense Mode!"

**Star Paladin of Fire ATK: 0, DEF: 0, Level 4**

This time, the sphere that appears is of flames. It has a star on it as well. Then it turns blue.

After that, Primo reluctantly returns to his team's pit.

**To be continued…**

Me: *Grins* Yeah, that's what you get.

Sky: Seriously? You finish the backstory stuff but neglect on telling us some of the details Dusk was _going_ to talk about? Like how Leo and I became Signers.

Me: Like I said, all will be revealed later.

Aurelia: *Appears in the room* Did ya weally have ta wight me like that?

Me: Well, it's kind of how you talk… *Snickers*

Sky: *Backs away slowly* Uhm, since when do villains get to come in here?

Aurelia: I'm not evil!

Me: Well, it depends on your point of view. *To Sky* What do you expect her to do?

Sky: She's what? Only a little bit younger than Joseph?

Aurelia: I'm older than all of you!

Joseph: Yeah… she's not really four, remember? Oh, and btw, I'm actually seven. Just… oddly short.

Sky: *Facepalm* You're… seven… and you wrote that newest chapter of Rewind?

Joseph: Yep!

Sky: Great…

Me: …Well, the only other thing I have to reveal is that I _will_ be starting up a truth-or-dare fic.

*Everyone gasps*

Lucy: *Appears* YEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSS!

Me: Well, you were really being unbearable, and both Shade and Meri feel like that'll be a good way to distract their evilness or something? I dunno. But I will say it won't be exactly like any others that have gone up.

Sky: That _is_ quite an overused topic for fanfictions…

Me: That's part of why I was so reluctant to start one.

Lucy: I'll go start on it right away! *Vanishes*

Me: Well then… guess that's it. Please leave a review! I love hearing your comments! I can't guarantee what gets updated next, but it'll probably be Blazing Shadows or Crimson Feathers. Or both at the same time, because my updates seem to come in pairs… Bye for now!


	53. Chapter 53: Fallen Star

Me: Oh hey, look at that. My muses are finally updating Blue Sky.

Sky: They didn't throw in some horrid twist, did they? I mean, you haven't updated this for half a month…

Me: For once, you're all lucky. Other than the Infinity Symbol causing real damage, there are no evil parts in this chapter. At all.

Sky: Are you sure?

Me: Yes, I'm sure. In fact, for the first good chunk, you get to listen to the humor that is Aurelia not being able to pronounce the letter r.

Aurelia: *Mumbles something*

Me: *Pats her head* At least I did it with r and not th. _That_ would have been even funnier.

Aurelia: Fine…

*A loud crash echoes from upstairs*

Me: *Sigh* Here, I have the chapter typed up. I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds, but I do own my OCs. Enjoy? …Now I need to see who caused that crash.

Chapter 53

With Primo down, Jakob comes out on his Duel Runner. Actually, scratch that statement. For one, Jakob's 'Runner' doesn't even look like one, more like one of those electric scooters mall cops ride around on. Secondly, he's not even on it. Instead, he's running along after it!

"What in the world…?" I say, standing up to get a better look.

Turns out, Jakob can also do the weird fusion-thing with his Duel Runner. _'That means he's also an android,'_ I think. _'Just another of my unanswered questions…'_

"Since it was during Primo's turn that you defeated him, it seems that I cannot do anything," Jakob notes. "Take your turn, Jack Atlas. You better make it count."

"Hmph! You don't tell me what to do," Jack retorts, drawing his card.

**Sydney S.C. 10, Jakob S.C. 8, Jack S.C. 8, Aurelia S.C. 11**

Jack narrows his eyes and smirks a little. He mutters something and then says, "I Summon _Magic Hole Golem_ to the field in Defense Mode, set two cards face-down, and end my turn."

**Magic Hole Golem ATK: 0, DEF: 2000, Level 3**

"I don't call that making it count," Aurelia taunts. "'S my tuwn! I dwaw!"

**Sydney S.C. 11, Jakob S.C. 9, Jack S.C. 9, Aurelia S.C. 12**

"_Staw Paladin of Fire_ has a weally awesome ability! I can release it and bwing two mowe to weplace it! Come out, _Staw Paladin of Light_ and _Staw Paladin of Dawkness_!"

**Star Paladin of Light ATK: 0, DEF: 0, Level 4; Star Paladin of Darkness ATK: 0, DEF: 0, Level 4**

Unlike the other times her monsters appeared, these two wind around each other and create the shape of a star, alternating between orange and purple light.

"All six!" she shouts with glee. "All six have been used!"

"All six what?" Sydney asks.

I stare at her monsters, and the answer hits me. The six Attributes of monsters… each of these 'Star Paladins' has represented one of them! No, wait, there is one more Attribute, but as far as I know, only the Egyptian Gods were of it… Aurelia couldn't possibly…!

"I activate my face-down, _Divine Staw Witual_! I wemove all six of my 'Staw Paladins' from play, and I can Summon my best cawd to weplace them! Come out, _Divine Staw Paladin_!"

**Divine Star Paladin ATK: ?, DEF: ?, Level 10**

Ghost forms of all six of the elemental creatures Aurelia has used appear on her field—this time, the light and dark ones separated. They all turn into columns of different colors—white, black, red-orange, blue, green, and brown—and twist together. Bright light envelops the field for a few moments. When it dims, a new monster hovers in the air. It is a knight, face and all, in silver armor, with gemstones set in the colors of the six elements in it. He holds two swords, both of which glow red.

"He's not my best cawd fow nothing! _Divine Staw Paladin's_ ability activates! He absowbs the owiginal ATK and DEF of a monstew in someone's Gwaveyawd as his own!" Aurelia exclaims. "I like _Xewneas, Westowew of Life's_ powew!"

**Divine Star Paladin ATK/DEF: 4000**

"That's not all!" she continues. "_Divine Staw Paladin_ can fowce a monstew to battle him! What makes it even bettew is that no effects can be activated duwing the battle!" Aurelia points at my friend's wolf-man and declares, "Bye-bye, _Fang of Night_!"

The grand knight float over to _Fang of Night_, and with a quick slash of one of his swords cuts the wolf-man in two. The red glow then strikes Sydney, hard.

**Sydney's Life Points: 1600**

"H-Hey, why'd I take that much damage?" Sydney demands, wincing a little.

"Well, when _Divine Star Paladin_ battles, the damage is doubled," Aurelia says. "Hehe, I also fowgot to mention that, while he can't attack diwectly, after he destwoys a monstew in battle with his effect, _Divine Staw Paladin_ gets a second attack! This time, I choose _Magic Hole Golem_!"

The knight goes for a second takedown, but Jack smirks. "_This_ is where I make it count! I activate my Trap _Revenge Twin Soul_! Now, I remove _Red Nova Dragon_ and _Red Dragon Archfiend_ from play, and my _Magic Hole Golem_ gains 100 DEF for each of their combined Levels!"

**Magic Hole Golem DEF: 2000 to 4000**

"So, youw monsterw suwvives this tuwn! It doesn't make a diffewence!" Aurelia says.

"It will once I activate a second Trap, _Resonator Shield_!" he retorts. "Now _Dark Resonator_ joins my dragons as being removed from play, and _Magic Hole Golem_ gains an extra 500 DEF!"

**Magic Hole Golem DEF: 4000 to 4500**

Aurelia frowns, "So, that means… my monstew's effect backfiwes, and I lose, huh?"

"Not only that, but the second part of _Revenge Twin Soul_ activates," Jack continues. "It destroys any monster who battles _Magic Hole Golem_ that has less ATK than _Golem's_ DEF."

"Ah?!"

_Divine Star Paladin_ continues towards the now-glowing ring-like monster. He swings his second sword, but it shatters upon impact. The knight explodes, surrounding the four Duelists in smoke for a few moments.

**Aurelia's Life Points: 0**

The girl shakes her head. "Two tuwns. I only got two tuwns. Oh well, I can still pass Dusk something. When _Divine Staw Paladin_ is destroyed in battle, the monster that destroyed it also gets destroyed, and the owner of that monster loses 1000 Life Points. Then, I activate the second effect of _Divine Staw Witual _in my Graveyard! I can banish it to bring _Divine Staw Paladin_ back to the field in Defense Mode!"

'_All that, and she gets to keep her monster?'_ I think. _'Correction, Dusk gets it? Still… and it looks like he loses.'_

The pieces reform into the knight again, and he swipes at _Magic Hole Golem_, this time successfully destroying it. Bright light flashes, and I can't see Jack any more.

**Jack's Life Points: 0**

The mind-link I have with Yusei suddenly flares up with the transmission of pain. Whatever just happened, I think it hurt Jack. The Infinity Symbol? Psychic Abilities? A combination of the two? It doesn't make sense because Shoshan is perfectly fine… rattled a little but fine. No wait, it _does_ make sense. Their goal is to activate that Circuit of theirs, and the Signers give off a whole lot more energy than normal people, especially when they're angry…

'_Yusei, is Jack okay?'_ I think.

'_Ngh, he's unconscious and being sent to the infirmary. Crow's vowed to make Dusk pay for what Aurelia did,'_ he replies. _'I just hope he doesn't rush in unprepared…'_

I know what he means. Crow's Deck is one of the most Synchro-geared ones there are. If Jakob brings out his Meklord… We don't know what it does, but I'm sure it'll be much stronger than _Wisel_ and _Skiel_.

I turn my attention back to the field. Dusk and Crow have taken the field, and I don't let the sight of Dusk's Duel Runner to shock me. It looks exactly like mine, with the only difference being that the base color is black rather than gold. In all likelihood, that _is_ my Duel Runner, or the future version of it.

**Dusk's Life Points: 4000; Crow's Life Points: 4000**

"Well, with you guys here that means it's my turn!" Sydney shouts, not letting the loss of her ace get to her. She makes no facial expression upon seeing her card, meaning she's either got something planned, or she has one heck of a bluff.

**Sydney S.C. 12, Jakob S.C. 10, Crow S.C. 10, Dusk S.C. 12**

"I Summon _Black Fang_ to the field in Defense Mode and… use the 7 Speed Counter effect of _Speed World 2_ to draw a card."

**Sydney S.C. 5; Black Fang ATK: 2000, DEF: 1600, Level 4**

The wolf appears, but curls up into a defensive position.

"I set two cards face-down and end my turn," Sydney says.

'_I wonder why she didn't destroy _Divine Star Paladin_ instead,'_ I think. _'Unless she figures the monster has an anti-destruction by card effects? It would make sense since it was technically destroyed in battle, and it's supposed to have power equivalent to a God Card…'_

"Hmm, I was expecting you to take advantage of my lack of monsters or face-down cards," Jakob says. "Nevertheless, it is my turn!"

**Sydney S.C. 6, Jakob S.C. 11, Crow S.C. 11, Dusk S.C. 12**

He looks at the card and smiles. "Because I have 4 Speed Counters, I activate my _Speed Spell-Take Over_. Now I destroy a card that has any counters on it—like my _Infinite Aura_—and for every counter it had, I gain 100 Life Points."

Wait a moment, with 80 counters because of Primo and Lester's losses…! That's going to put him at a very high advantage, at least with Life Points.

**Jakob's Life Points: 12000**

"Then I Summon _Grand Core _in Defense Mode, but thanks to the effects of _Speed World 2_, it won't be here for long," Jakob continues. "I destroy _Grand Core_ to Special Summon the five parts of _Meklord Emperor Granel Infinity_!"

**Jakob S.C. 1; Meklord Emperor Granel Infinity ATK: 0, DEF: 0, Level 1**

A burst of electricity from his Duel Runner makes the _Grand Core_ explode, and with it the five pieces of _Granel_ gather on the field. This robot is orange and bulkier than the other two… yet its power doesn't prove that.

"Zero Attack Points?" Crow asks, utterly shocked. "That can't be right…!"

"Oh, it's not," the Emperor of Yliaster states. "Unlike the other two Meklords, _Meklord Emperor Granel Infinity_ does not draw its strength from the individual pieces—instead, its base ATK and DEF are equal to my Life Points!"

"What?!" I shout, looking at the card stats.

**Meklord Emperor Granel Infinity ATK/DEF: 0 to 12000**

"No wonder they wanted to increase his Life Points," I mutter. "That card… if he pulls of piercing damage… or even just a direct attack…" I stare at Crow's field—no monsters and only one card face-down.

"They'll be fine," Shoshan says. "Especially Sydney—she still hasn't used the second effect of _Life Aura_…"

"Even so… Crow might not even get a turn…"

It seems that Jakob does go for the OTK, having _Granel_ attack Crow directly. But Crow just swerves to the front of the pack and declares, "When I'm selected as the target of a direct attack, I can Special Summon _Blackwing-Ghibli the Searing Wind_ from my hand!"

**Blackwing-Ghibli the Searing Wind ATK: 0, DEF: 1600, Level 3**

A small black bird with a large red mane appears in front of Crow. The bird has six black wings, all with red stripes on them. The bird curls his wings in front of him and turns blue.

"As I suspected," Jakob says. "No matter, attack _Ghibli_ instead!"

The orange robot shoots a pulse of energy out of one of its arms, incinerating the small bird. At least Crow doesn't take any damage…

"I set a card face-down and end my turn," he finishes.

"Finally, it's my turn!" Crow declares, drawing his card.

**Sydney S.C. 7, Jakob S.C. 2, Crow S.C. 12, Dusk S.C. 12**

"Heh, I'll start things off with my _Speed Spell-Black-Winged Strafe_!" Crow says. "By removing 4 of my Speed Counters and discarding a 'Blackwing' monster, I can destroy one monster that's in Defense Mode! Sure, your _Granel_ is five monsters, and the one I want to destroy is in Attack Mode, but your _Granel Guard_ fits the bill!"

**Crow S.C. 8**

"That is where you are wrong," Jakob says. "I activate the Continuous Trap _Divergence_, so now the effect is directed to a different Machine-Type monster I control, like _Granel Carrier_, instead."

Instead of blasting apart the one arm, the robot's lower half is destroyed by a phantom version of _Blackwing-Gale the Whirlwind_.

"Works for me," Crow shrugs. "Now, since you control a monster and I don't, I can Normal Summon _Blackwing-Sirocco the Dawn_ without having to sacrifice a monster."

**Blackwing-Sirocco the Dawn ATK: 2000, DEF: 900, Level 5**

A monster that seems to be half man, half raven appears next to Crow.

"Not only that, but since I control my 'Blackwing' monster, both _Blackwing-Gale the Whirlwind_ and _Blackwing-Gladius the Midnight Sun_ can be Special Summoned from my hand," Crow continues.

**Blackwing-Gale the Whirlwind ATK: 1300, DEF: 400, Level 3; Blackwing-Gladius the Midnight Sun ATK: 800, DEF: 1500, Level 3**

The first bird to appear is much smaller than the bird-man, and has dark-blue feathers covering his entire body; green feathers covering his head. The second is only slightly smaller than the bird-man. This one has silver armor and white wings, but his body and head feathers are black. He has two things like swords in each hand. Both of the new monsters bend down and turn blue.

"Alright, time for action! I activate the effect of _Blackwing-Gale the Whirlwind_ to permanently cut the ATK and DEF of… _Divine Star Paladin_ in half!" Crow declares.

**Divine Star Paladin ATK/DEF: 4000 to 2000**

Dusk frowns as a flurry of dark-blue feathers surrounds her knight, weighing him down.

"That's not all, I activate _Sirocco the Dawn's_ ability as well!" Crow shouts, clearly on a roll. "Now _Sirocco_ gains the ATK of my other two 'Blackwings' until the End Phase, but they can't attack."

**Blackwing-Sirocco the Dawn ATK: 2000 to 4100**

"Let's get rid of that _Divine Star Paladin_ once and for all! _Blackwing-Sirocco the Dawn,_ attack _Divine Star Paladin_!" Crow declares, pointing at the weakened knight.

From the computer screen, I can see Dusk's hand twitch, almost like she wants to play a card but needs to save it for later or something. If she really is the future me… then that sounds like something I would do.

The bird-man flies in front of the white-armored knight and strikes at a weak point. Despite being larger than _Sirocco_, _Divine Star Paladin_ doesn't fight back and shatters into holographic pieces. The pieces strike Dusk, and I see a few tears open up in her Riding Suit.

Definitely the Infinity Symbol. Maybe it stayed unactivated until Jakob joined?

**Dusk's Life Points: 1900**

"Hmph, when I take Battle Damage in a battle where my monster was destroyed, I can Special Summon _Fallen Star Knight-Ares_ from my hand and grant _Ares_ half of that amount to his ATK," Dusk says.

**Fallen Star Knight-Ares ATK: 2400 to 3450, DEF: 1000, Level 6**

If I hadn't known her real identity, the appearance of Dusk's monster would have shocked me. Even so, it still bothers me, a lot. Her monster is a perfect replica of _Celestial Knight-Mars_, only this one boasts broken armor, no helm, and a scarred face.

Anger flickers across Crow's face, but he shakes it off and yells, "That's the end of my Battle Phase, so… I Tune my Level 3 _Blackwing-Gale the Whirlwind_ with my Level 5 _Blackwing-Sirocco the Dawn_! _Darkened gales, become the wings that soar from resolved hope! Synchro Summon! Soar, Black-Winged Dragon_!"

**Black-Winged Dragon ATK: 2800, DEF: 1600, Level 8**

The smallest bird turns into three green rings, which circle around the bird-man. In a flash of light, the two disappear completely. In their place, Crow's dragon appears. His wing feathers are white with black stripes at the moment.

"Even with a Meklord on the field, you would dare Summon your Signer Dragon?" Jakob asks. "It seems the stories I've heard about you are true."

"Don't know what stories you've heard, but you should know that Crow 'the Bullet' Hogan isn't going to let your monster get ahold of _Black-Winged Dragon_," Crow retorts. "I end my turn."

"Correct, your dragon has to survive my turn first," Dusk says. "And I find that highly unlikely!" She practically rips her card out of her Deck.

**Sydney S.C. 8, Jakob S.C. 3, Crow S.C. 9, Dusk S.C. 12**

A smirk crosses Dusk's face. "Yes… perfect. I set two cards face down, and Summon _Fallen Star Knight-Gaia_ to the field in Attack Mode! Then, when I control a face-up 'Fallen Star' monster, I can Special Summon _Fallen Star Warlock_ from my hand!"

**Fallen Star Knight-Gaia ATK: 1900, DEF: 1000, Level 4; Fallen Star Warlock ATK: 1800, DEF: 1000, Level 4**

Once again, her monsters bear resemblance to two of my own; this time in the form of _Celestial Knight-Earth _and _Celestial Wizard_. _Gaia_ bears dark-green armor caked in mud and an almost worthless dagger in one hand. The other monster is an old man, his black robes scorched and torn in several places.

Wait… if _Fallen Star Knight-Gaia_ is _Celestial Knight-Earth's _counterpart… wouldn't _Gaia_ also be a Tuner, which leads to a Synchro, the monsters they've sworn to destroy? Unless she has a different plan…

Yeah, different plan it is. "My niece is not the only one with an Xyz Monster," Dusk says. "I construct the Overlay Network with _Fallen Star Knight-Gaia_ and _Fallen Star Warlock_! _Break the forces of night and day! Block out the sun and moon, and envelop all in never-ending darkness! Xyz Summon! Bring forth shadows, Fallen Nova Dragon_!"

**Fallen Nova Dragon ATK: 3000, DEF: 2000, Rank 4**

I hold in a scream as the darker version of my favorite card appears on her field. The dragon's wings are still purple, and her eyes still blue, but the scales on her body are black and scarred with marks of many battles. Two orbs of light circle the dragon.

"_Fallen Nova Dragon's_ ability activates!" Dusk says. "When she's Xyz Summoned, I can destroy a monster on the field and inflict damage to its controller equal to the destroyed monster's Attack Points! No hard feelings Sydney, but it's time I faced my past self! I choose to destroy _Black Fang_!"

The dragon curls her wings close and starts glowing. Then she whips them back out, and an arrow of light pierces the defending wolf… and Sydney. All I see is smoke.

**Sydney's Life Points: 0**

I jump off the seat and head to my Duel Runner. Sydney pulls up behind me, her Duel Runner badly damaged and I'm fairly certain that she's a lot more injured than she's letting on, but she passes me the baton and the few cards in her Spell and Trap Card Zone. "You… better kick their… asses…" she says before collapsing.

"Sydney!" I exclaim.

"Go, Sky!" Shoshan replies.

"I'll go with her to the infirmary and make sure Shoshan tells you her condition as soon as I know anything," Escolar adds.

I nod briskly, "Okay."

"Don't forget _Life Aura_!" Shoshan yells after me as I leave the pit.

**Sky's Life Points: 4000**

I glare at Dusk's dragon. _'Don't worry Sydney. The way I feel right now, I could take on all of the Meklords at once and they'd be begging for mercy.'_

Dusk mutters something along the lines of, "One more piece…"

I ignore her comment and say, "Since Sydney lost during your turn, that means it's automatically my turn." I draw my card.

**Sky S.C. 9, Jakob S.C. 4, Crow S.C. 10, Dusk S.C. 12**

I quickly gaze over my hand and realize that I couldn't ask for a better one. But first… I read over the effects of _Life Aura_, so that I know how to use its second effect. I hold in a smirk, because it's the perfect defense against that _Granel's_ Synchro absorption ability. "I'll start things off by Summoning _Celestial Knight-Venus_ in Attack Mode!"

**Celestial Knight-Venus ATK: 1700, DEF: 1000, Level 4**

My knight appears, wearing orange armor and boasting a golden-orange dagger in her right hand. Blonde hair sticks out from under her helmet, which otherwise covers her entire face.

"I activate _Fallen Star Knight-Ares'_ second ability! By sacrificing him when my opponent Summons a monster, the monster they Summoned is destroyed!" Dusk counters.

'_Perfect, she took the bait,'_ I think as her red-armored knight destroys mine. "That's exactly what I needed! When a 'Celestial' monster I control is destroyed by a card effect, I can Special Summon _Celestial Priestess_ from my hand!" I declare.

**Celestial Priestess ATK: ?, DEF: ?, Level 4**

A young woman in a ceremonial white dress appears in front of me. She holds a wooden staff. A white mask covers her face, and yet her black hair flows down her back anyways.

"Oh, that monster," Dusk says. "Not one that I used too often, since her power was based on the number of cards in my hand. But when you have four cards… that puts her at 2000, if I remember correctly."

"You do," I reply. Geez, this is weird, fighting my future self. Won't she know all of my strategies? No, this Duel has never been fought before; anything I do here might be similar to others, but not the same.

**Celestial Priestess ATK/DEF: 2000**

"That wasn't my entire goal though, since I now activate one of the two face-downs Sydney never used that Shoshan left on the field! It's a Trap known as _Crossed Paths_: when I Special Summon a monster, I can bring one whose Attribute is the same from my Deck! I choose… _Celestial Knight-Uranus_!"

**Celestial Knight-Uranus ATK: 1500, DEF: 1000, Level 4**

This monster has blue-green armor, and a sword that's about as long as his forearm.

I stare at _Fallen Nova Dragon_. I'm sure that _Fallen Nova Dragon_ has an anti-Synchro effect, since Hana's _Chaos Rose Dragon_ did. But… _Life Aura_… I have nothing to fear. "I Tune my Level 4 _Celestial Knight-Uranus_ to my Level 4 _Celestial Priestess_! _As night falls and darkness rises, the stars gather together to form one mighty beast! Synchro Summon! Bring forth the light, Celestial Dragon-Quasar_!"

**Celestial Dragon-Quasar ATK: 3000, DEF: 2000, Level 8**

My blue-green armored knight turns into four green rings, and my priestess turns into four stars. The rings circle the stars for a moment, before light flashes. The rings and stars are gone; in their place is a shimmering silver dragon with purple wings.

Dusk smirks, "When a Synchro Monster is Synchro Summoned, I can detach an Overlay Unit from _Fallen Nova Dragon_ and remove it from play."

"Like I'll let that happen!' I shout. "My dragon's staying on the field, thanks to the second effect of _Life Aura_!"

"Ah?!" Dusk looks at the field. "Ah, I forgot about that card… _his_ card…"

"If a monster is targeted by the effect of another monster on the field, and your effect certainly targets _Quasar_, I can send _Life Aura_ to the Graveyard to Special Summon _Xerneas, Restorer of Life_ from my Graveyard and negate the monster's effect… permanently," I say. "So your _Fallen Nova Dragon_ can't use her effect ever again!"

**Xerneas, Restorer of Life ATK: 4000, DEF: 4000, Level 12**

In a burst of light, a tall deer appears next to me. His lower half is covered in black fur, with his top half and head covered with blue fur. Adorning his head are eight antlers—four on each side—that each have colorful gems at the base, and colorful spikes near the ends. To top it all off, _Xerneas'_ pupils are shaped like the letter x.

Dusk's dragon absorbs one of the two lights circling it and tries to attack _Quasar_. However, _Xerneas_ steps in and upon impact, _Fallen Nova Dragon_ seems to lose its strength.

"Ah, I should have seen that coming…" Dusk mumbles. "But… you can't attack me! I activate _Fallen Star Reflector_, a Quick-Play Speed Spell! By removing two of my Speed Counters, this prevents any monsters from attacking a 'Fallen Star' monster this turn."

'_Huh… that _was_ what I was planning to do; get rid of Dusk so that the only person I had to worry about was Jakob…'_ I think. _'But now I can't do anything, because _Divergence_ would make any attack I launch likely redirect to _Meklord Emperor Granel_, the part that has all those Attack Points…'_ I shrug. "Very well, I place two cards face-down and end my turn."

**To be continued…**

Me: *Walks back into the room* Oh good, chapter's done.

Sky: What was going on?

Me: Meri and Lucy were arguing about… something involving a future flashback in Crimson Feathers.

Sky: *Raises an eyebrow* Does this have anything to do with that girl you mentioned in the newest chapter? What was her name… Alice?

Me: Eh, kind of. But that doesn't matter right now. Did you like this chapter?

Sky: Compared to everything else you've been writing, this was a _good_ chapter.

Me: Hehe, and probably the last one for a while. Everything else is going to be evil upon evil upon evil…

Sky: …That's what I was expecting.

Me: Same here. So, this seems to be it. Please leave a review! I love hearing what you guys have to say!


	54. Chapter 54: Temporal Collapse

Me: Hey, look! Blue Sky update!

Lucy: You're welcome!

Aurelia: You didn't wite this chapter!

Shade: *Appears* Correct, I wrote the majority of the Duel.

Lucy: Yes, but _I'm_ the one that put in the bits of drama.

Shade: Of which there isn't very much, Lucy.

Me: Will you two shut up? All that matters is that the chapter is done, alright?

Lucy: *Pouts a little* Fine.

Shade: Alright. *Vanishes*

Me: *Facepalm* Sometimes I wonder why I need all five of them… Anywho, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds, but I do own my OCs. Enjoy!

**Chapter 54**

Now Jakob rides in front of everyone, announcing his turn and drawing a card.

**Sky S.C. 10, Jakob S.C. 5, Crow S.C. 11, Dusk S.C. 11**

I brace myself for _Meklord Emperor Granel_ trying to absorb either _Celestial Dragon-Quasar_ or _Black-Winged Dragon_. The robot is already powerful enough; a boost from a Synchro Monster would mean more difficulty in defeating that creature.

"Hmm… I will start by replacing the piece destroyed during Crow's last turn," Jakob says. "I Summon _Granel Carrier 3_ in Defense Mode!"

**Granel Carrier 3 ATK: 1000, DEF: 1000, Level 3**

An orange mechanical half-sphere appears on the field. It splits apart, connected by a thick metal rod, and attaches itself to the bottom of _Granel's_ torso. The difference between this version and the one destroyed previously is that the new version has two cannons situated on its front.

"Now, _Meklord Emperor Granel Infinity_, attack _Black-Winged Dragon_!"

'_What, not absorbing either of our Synchros?'_ I think in shock as the orange robot shoots a stream of energy at the black dragon. _'Even so… Crow better have something up his sleeve.'_ Why else would he have Summoned his dragon in Attack Mode?

He certainly does, because my orange-haired friend grins and says, "Thanks for falling into my trap, Jakob! Because I control a face-up 'Blackwing' monster, I can activate the Trap _Black Sonic_! Now all of your monsters in Attack Mode are removed from play!"

"Hmm…" Jakob narrows his eyes at the Trap.

"Last I checked, _Granel Top, Granel Attack, _and_ Meklord Emperor Granel_ were all in Attack Mode," Crow says. "And that means your strategy is going down the drain!"

_Blackwing-Gladius the Midnight Sun_ gains an eerie glow from the Trap, and upon extending one of his blades at the robot, a spiral of black energy strikes the three pieces of the orange robot. Its head, chest, and left arm vanish into a black vortex. The remaining arm and its legs both shatter.

"When _Meklord Emperor Granel_ is removed from the field, all monsters I control are destroyed," Jakob explains. "Hmm. Interesting…"

Dusk huffs in annoyance, and some unspoken conversation happens between the two. I can only guess what they're talking about…

"I set a card face-down and end my turn," Jakob finishes.

"Not so tough now, are you?" Crow asks. "It's my turn, I draw!"

**Sky S.C. 11, Jakob S.C. 6, Crow S.C. 12, Dusk S.C. 12**

"Huh… I activate the effect of _Speed World 2_ and remove 7 Speed Counters to draw a card!" Crow starts.

**Crow S.C. 5**

After this draw, my friend smiles again, and adds the card to his hand. "I switch _Blackwing-Gladius the Midnight Sun_ into Attack Mode, and I'll have both of my monsters attack you directly, Jakob!"

The warrior-bird strikes with his two blades. Then, the dragon's wings turn black with red highlights, and a sphere of crackling black and red energy appears in front of his claw-legs. With a roar, _Black-Winged Dragon_ lets loose the energy at Jakob. The Emperor swivels a little from the impact, but is otherwise unfazed.

**Jakob's Life Points: 8400**

"Now I set a card face-down and end my turn," Crow says smugly.

"Impressive, but your luck won't last forever," Dusk says, drawing her card. Then she smiles. "In fact, it will end here!"

**Sky S.C. 12, Jakob S.C. 7, Crow S.C. 6, Dusk S.C. 12**

"I activate my Continuous _Speed Spell-Temporal Collapse_!" she shouts.

It feels like something socks me in the chest, and all breath I had in me is suddenly knocked out. Before my very eyes, my surroundings are turning grey. I blink several times, and manage to catch my breath again, thinking that it was because of a lack of air. Nope, everything is still grey. Everything, that is, except Dusk, Jakob, Crow, and their Duel Runners. We're still moving, but everything else is frozen in place.

I go to ask what this is, but a giant tower made of blue stone appears above us and crumbles into pieces. It vanishes, leaving behind a monster that looks familiar, and yet at the same time it doesn't. The monster looks like _Dialga, Ruler of Time_, and yet… its skin is a darker blue, and the lines on its body are yellow-orange instead of light blue.

**Primal Dialga ATK: 3000, DEF: 1900, Level 8**

"This is the power of my despair!" Dusk shouts. "With _Temporal Collapse_ on the field, no one can gain Speed Counters, and the effects of _Speed World 2_ are negated," she says. "When activated, _Temporal Collapse_ Special Summons _Primal Dialga_ from my Deck. Oh, and I'm sure you're all wondering why everything else is frozen? As long as _Primal Dialga_ is on the field, time will stay frozen!"

"You… your monster can freeze time?" I ask, staring at the corrupted _Dialga_. I've never heard of a monster that could do this before; flatout manipulating the timestream. Even the normal version of _Dialga_ can't do this…

"Oh, it can alright!" Dusk replies with glee. "Also, your teammates in the pit? Yeah, they're frozen too. Not even the Crimson Dragon can stand up to a deity older than it." She pauses for a moment, thinking over something. "A _corrupted_ deity, but older nonetheless."

'_A deity older than the Crimson Dragon?'_ I think. _'Reshiram, is that even possible?'_

'_Yes, those from other dimensions,'_ she replies. _'In fact, I am one of them. I did not realize that the others had followed me here, other than my direct enemy, Kyurem, Xerneas, and… his enemy.'_

'_Okay, I think this involves a longer backstory than I need right now, so just tell me later, alright?'_ I think.

'_I will wait, little one. If you need my assistance in the Duel, do not hesitate to call on me.'_ With that, the dragon stops speaking to me.

I stare at the blue deer with multi-colored horns that resides on my field. _'Hmm… you are another ancient deity, aren't you, Xerneas?'_ I think.

The deer gives a short nod, but doesn't speak.

'_Well then, I'm glad to have your help.'_

"I activate the effect of _Primal Dialga_!" my future self declares. "Once a turn, I can destroy and remove from play a card on the field! _Absolute Rewind_!"

The diamond at the center of _Primal Dialga's_ chest glows a brighter yellow-orange, and the fin-like structure along its back glows red. The creature roars, and a sphere of blue energy appears around _Blackwing-Gladius the Midnight Sun_. The sphere shatters into pieces along with the warrior-bird.

'_That effect is… almost too powerful,'_ I think grimly. _'But why didn't she destroy my dragon? Then she could have pulled off a direct attack on me, right? Also, _Celestial Dragon-Quasar_ ties _Primal Dialga_ when it comes to strength, but _Blackwing-Gladius the Midnight Sun _was weaker; heck, _Black-Winged Dragon_ would've made more sense… Hmm… Just what are you planning, Dusk?'_

"On the turn I use this effect, I cannot declare an attack, but that will be fine with me. I set a card face-down and end my turn," Dusk finishes.

"Fine then, it's my turn!" I shout, drawing my card. The fact that the Speed Counters don't change bothers me a little, but at least I have the max and can still use my Speed Spells. I look at the rest of my hand. Nothing to get rid of that _Primal Dialga_ right now. Later, possibly. For the moment, though, I can bring Jakob down to size. "I Summon _Celestial Knight-Mercury_!"

**Celestial Knight-Mercury ATK: 1500 to 2200, DEF: 1000, Level 3**

A knight in bright red-orange armor appears on my side of the field.

"Now, both of my monsters, attack Jakob directly!" I declare, pointing at my opponent.

My knight lands his attack—a quick jab with a glowing dagger—but as my dragon prepares a blast, Dusk declares, "I activate the Trap _Scrap-Iron Scarecrow_! You know what it does, so I won't bother to explain it."

I flinch as my dragon's fire bounces harmlessly off of the scarecrow made of junk metal. She's clearly trying to prove the point that she's from the future…

**Jakob's Life Points: 6200**

"Tch, I'll end my turn with a face-down," I say, sliding the card into my Duel Disk.

"It is my turn!" Jakob declares, drawing his card. He looks at it for a moment. "I activate the _Speed Spell-Mechanical Dimension_! As I have 5 Speed Counters, the effect of my Spell returns all three of the monsters you removed from play to my field, in Defense Mode!"

"What?!" Crow shouts.

The black vortex reappears above us, and the head, chest, and left arm of the robot reappear on the field, and the pieces reconnect. Then, the half-robot holds its only arm in front of it protectively, and turns blue. Despite missing two pieces, the robot still boasts 6200 DEF—a lot more than Crow or I can handle right now.

"That shall be the end of my turn," Jakob says.

"If I took that robot down once, I'll do it again!" Crow declares. "It's my turn, I draw!" He looks at his card. "I activate the Quick-Play _Speed Spell-Mystical Space Typhoon_! By removing two of my Speed Counters, I destroy your _Divergence_ Trap!"

A powerful tornado tears apart the face-up Trap.

"Then I activate my Trap _Blackback_! This lets me Special Summon _Blackwing-Gale the Whirlwind_ from my Graveyard, in exchange for not Normal Summoning this turn," he continues. "But who needs a Normal Summon when you're playing with my Blackwings? I Special Summon _Blackwing-Bora the Spear_!"

**Blackwing-Bora the Spear ATK: 1700, DEF: 800, Level 4**

A large bird with black wings appears. The feathers around his head are pinkish-orange. The bird holds a large, drill-like spear.

"I activate the effect of _Gale the Whirlwind_, and I cut the power of… _Primal Dialga_ in half," Crow says, pointing at the dinosaur.

The storm of black feathers appears again, weighing down _Primal Dialga_.

**Primal Dialga ATK: 3000 to 1500, DEF: 1900 to 950**

"I Tune my Level 3 _Blackwing-Gale the Whirlwind_ to my Level 4 _Blackwing-Bora the Spear_!" Crow shouts. Three rings, four stars. "_Darkened gales, become the wings which will soar to the heavens! Synchro Summon! Blackwing Armor Master_!"

**Blackwing Armor Master ATK: 2500, DEF: 1500, Level 7**

A tall bird-man with black armor covering most of his body—including his wings—appears in a flash of light. The helmet he has on prevents anyone from seeing his face, which is covered by a dark red sphere. Orange lines decorate the armor on his torso and wings.

"Now, _Blackwing Armor Master_! Attack _Meklord Emperor Granel Infinity_!" Crow orders.

I'm about to ask Crow why he's doing such a ridiculous move when I remember _Armor Master's _effect. It seems Dusk knows what it is as well, because she activates _Scrap-Iron Scarecrow_ again. The bird-man's attempt at flying into the robot is halted by the rickety scarecrow.

Crow retains his grin, however, and instead points at the dark-blue sauropod. "Then _Black-Winged Dragon_, attack _Primal Dialga_! _Noble Stream_!"

Once again, the dragon's feathers turn black with red highlights, and the sphere of electrified energy appears once more. It barrels towards _Primal Dialga_, but Dusk merely shakes her head. "My monster and my Spell are inexorably linked; as long as one remains on the field, the other cannot be destroyed!"

My friend scowls, and quickly regains his normal composure. "You still take the damage, though!"

"That is also where you are wrong," my future self declares, revealing a Trap. "I activate the Trap _Barrier of Roses_, left by Hana! By removing from play the _Princess of Roses_ in my Graveyard, I can negate all damage from this attack to zero."

A ghost of the aforementioned princess appears in front of Dusk. She holds her staff high, and it creates a barrier of black rose petals. The petals take the damage from _Black-Winged Dragon's_ attack.

'_All that work, and he has nothing to show for it…'_ I think. _'Well, other than a weakened _Primal Dialga_, but still… _Granel_ boasts all of its power, _Primal Dialga_ is still on the field—and can still use its effect, for that matter—and both Dusk and Jakob have the same amount of Life Points they had at the start of his turn…'_

As it turns out, Crow isn't done yet. "You might think that by freezing my buddies in time has us separated completely, but you're dead wrong, Dusk! I activate the only face-down Jack left me, a Trap known as _Synchro Impulse_! Now, I destroy a Synchro Monster I control, and in exchange I get to Special Summon another from my Extra Deck whose Level and Type are the same! I destroy _Blackwing Armor Master_ and… the monster I Summon from my Extra Deck is _Blackwing Tamer-Hawk Joe_!"

**Blackwing Tamer-Hawk Joe ATK: 2600, DEF: 2000, Level 7**

The monster that appears is a lot more humanoid than his other bird-human fusions. He is muscular, with golden-orange armor covering his arms and shoulders. His skin is tan, contrasting the armor he wears. Covering his legs is something like a skirt. But, like all of the other Blackwings, _Hawk Joe_ has his own bird-like characteristics: two large wings consisting of black feathers, and one hand with talons instead of fingers.

I stare at the new monster in surprise. I've never seen Crow use it before. Is it new, or does he just not use it? Either way, it catches Dusk by surprise, who frowns upon seeing it and mutters something.

"That's not all, _Hawk Joe_ has an awesome ability to let me bring a Level 5 or higher 'Blackwing' monster back from my Graveyard once a turn!" Crow shouts with glee. "Return, _Blackwing Armor Master_!"

_Blackwing Tamer-Hawk Joe_ lets out a strange call, and _Blackwing Armor Master_ reappears next to him in a burst of light.

"That's all I've got," Crow says. "Your move, Dusk."

"It is indeed!" She draws her card, looks at it, and adds it to her hand. "_Primal Dialga's_ effect activates! This time, I destroy… _Blackwing Tamer-Hawk Joe_. _Absolute Rewind_!"

The blue sphere appears again, only this time, the monster trapped inside lets out a different strange call. In a flash of light, _Blackwing Armor Master_ takes _Hawk Joe's_ place in the bubble as it shatters.

"Oh yeah, I probably should've mentioned that _Blackwing Tamer-Hawk Joe_ lets me redirect a card effect or attack to another 'Blackwing' monster I control," Crow says, grinning.

"Smile while you can, Crow Hogan. On my next turn, you will lose," she says ominously. "I set a card face-down and end my turn."

"It's my… turn!" I announce, drawing my card. I narrow my eyes at Dusk's face-down cards. One of those has to be important, if I go by her comment that Crow will lose. Maybe even her newest face-down card is important… "I Summon _Celestial Squire_ in Defense Mode!"

**Celestial Squire ATK: 0, DEF: 1000, Level 1**

A young boy struggling to carry a large amount of spare swords and armor appears on my field. He sets the stack of objects down and cowers behind them. The weapons and the boy turn blue.

"I activate _Celestial Squire's_ ability," I say. "By releasing him while I control another face-up 'Celestial' monster, I can destroy up to two face-down Spell or Trap Cards on the field. I choose the ones on the far left and the far right."

The boy takes two swords off his pile of belongings and throws them blindly in Dusk's direction. The face-down cards shatter—both Traps that I don't recognize, one that Hana left and the one Dusk set last round. Then he simply vanishes.

"_Celestial Dragon-Quasar_!" I shout. "Attack _Primal Dialga_ with _Quasar Flash_!"

"Have you forgotten my _Scrap-Iron Scarecrow_?" Dusk asks.

"No, but apparently I forgot about _Quasar's_ ability," I counter, mentally facepalming at my idiot mistake for not using her effect earlier. "I can negate your Trap's effect and destroy it. Go, _Starlight Whirlwind_!"

"_I cannot believe you forgot my ability, Mistress Sky,"_ my dragon scolds. _"No matter, I will gladly use my powers to turn this Duel around!"_ With that, she flaps her wings, sending a glittering tornado of lights into _Scrap-Iron Scarecrow_.

"Oh! When this effect is used, I can destroy a face-up Spell Card," I continue. "While _Temporal Collapse _is apparently off-limits… _Sky Core_ is not." I almost forgot about that effect as well. Geez, and when my every move counts towards the fate of Neo Domino, Satellite, and possibly the world? How can I forget my favorite card's abilities?

The lights turn around, slamming into the _Sky Core_ being treated as a Spell Card. It shatters instantly.

"Well, _Quasar_? You can't destroy _Primal Dialga_ because of its effect, but you can seriously cripple Dusk's Life Points!" I say. "Finish your attack!"

The burst of silver fire passes through the blue dinosaur harmlessly, but when it strikes Dusk, it sends her Duel Runner spinning momentarily. She falls behind all of us, but quickly catches up. I swear I see a spark of electricity travel across her skin, but it vanishes as soon as I notice it, so I pass it off as nothing.

**Dusk's Life Points: 400**

"Now, _Xerneas_! Your turn to attack!" I declare. Again, I scold myself, because I could've just attacked with _Xerneas_ in the first place and kicked Dusk out of the Duel. My scolding quickly comes to a halt, though.

"I activate the Trap _Draining Shield_!" Dusk declares, activating one of her face-down cards. "You've already used _Quasar's_ ability, so you can't stop this! I get to negate _Xerneas, Restorer of Life's_ ability and gain his ATK as Life Points as a result! What luck!"

The deer's attack, a beam of white light that appeared directly above _Primal Dialga_, hits a shimmering barrier that appears. The barrier turns into a light-green sphere of energy after absorbing the hit, and enters Dusk's body.

**Dusk's Life Points: 5900**

'_Blast it… she's even _more_ likely to fulfill what she said now…'_ I think. "I set a card face-down and… I end my turn."

"It's my turn, then," Jakob says. "I switch _Meklord Emperor Granel_ into Attack Mode, but leave my other two monsters in Defense Mode." Likely in an attempt to not fall into a similar situation again. "Then I Summon _Granel Guard 3_ in Defense Mode as well."

**Granel Guard 3 ATK: 800, DEF: 2000, Level 3**

The robot returns to its normal orange coloring, and its right arm reappears and attaches itself to the empty socket.

"Now, _Meklord Emperor Granel Infinity_ attacks your pesky _Blackwing Tamer-Hawk Joe_," he declares, pointing at the monster. "Without another 'Blackwing' monster on the field, your creature doesn't stand a chance!"

I refuse to watch Crow's monster take the hit, or the damage it does to my friend. I can still hear everything, namely Crow's scream of anguish… and the sound of a Duel Runner crashing.

**Crow's Life Points: 400**

I snap my eyes back open and slam the brakes. My body protests the sudden lack of speed, but I force my head to turn in the direction of where Crow is. Thankfully, he's pulling himself and his Runner off of the highway. He gives me a thumbs-up. "No need to worry; I've still got Life Points so I'm still in this fight!"

"Yes, but for how long?" Dusk asks, chuckling.

"Huh, definitely longer than your next turn," he retorts, getting back on his Runner and taking off before the rest of us do.

I shake my head a little and get going again. I think her pulling off a victory against Crow is going to be much easier now that he only has 400 Life Points left… Still, there's always hope, and all of my friends are freakishly good at beating the odds.

"Good, the Duel continues," Jakob notes. "The effect of _Granel Attack_ activates! When a 'Meklord Emperor' I control destroys a Synchro Monster in battle, _Granel Attack_ allows me to equip that monster to a face-up 'Meklord Emperor' I control!"

The robot's left arm shoots off a beam of light, opening a portal to the Graveyard. Then, tentacles of light shoot out from its chest compartment, travelling into the portal and dragging out _Blackwing Tamer-Hawk Joe_. Upon capturing the bird-man, the tentacles force it into the seemingly endless void that is _Granel's_ chest.

**Meklord Emperor Granel Infinity ATK: 6200 to 8800**

"Equipping them from the Graveyard?! That's just not fair," Crow mumbles.

"Fair," Jakob repeats. "Haven't you learned by now that not everything is fair?"

"Calm down Jakob," Dusk says, anticipating some sort of blow-up. "Remember the plan…"

The elderly man glares at my future self for a moment before giving up and simply saying, "I'll let you off this time, Hogan. Turn end."

Crow says nothing as he draws his card. While he doesn't make any sort of face at the card, I can just tell it isn't one he wants. "I Summon _Blackwing-Calima the Haze_ in Defense Mode, and I switch _Black-Winged Dragon_ into Defense Mode as well… that ends my turn."

**Blackwing-Calima the Haze ATK: 600, DEF: 1800, Level 4**

Unlike Crow's other monsters, this one doesn't even have one black feather on her entire body. All of her feathers are a deep pink. The entire bird is transparent; exactly like her name would suggest.

Dusk _tsks_ a little. "I gave you a turn, Crow. You aren't getting another. It's my turn, I draw!" She doesn't even look at her card. "From my hand, I activate the Trap _The Hanged Man's Release_!"

"Hold on a moment, that's illegal!" I shout.

"Not when it's my turn and I have fewer Life Points than my opponent," Dusk says, smiling. "In a Battle Royale like this, having fewer than just one of you works, and look at Jakob's Life Points? Despite your efforts, they're higher than mine."

I bite the inside of my lip, not liking this loophole in the card's effect. "What… what does your card do?"

"It's simple, really. The player with the lowest amount of Life Points flips a coin," she explains. "If the coin lands on heads, then their Life Points are doubled. If it is tails, however… they lose."

"So I don't have a choice in this?" Crow asks.

"Flip your coin," Dusk says.

"Fine!" My friend scowls, and presses the button on his Duel Disk that flips a coin.

In the middle of the four of us, a giant grey coin appears. It flips in the air… lands… and explodes after I barely register the fact that it landed on tails. I lose sight of Crow as the space between us fills with black smoke.

**Crow's Life Points: 0**

"Crow!" I shout.

The smoke clears, and my friend is barely able to stay upright on his Duel Runner. His visor is cracked, several cuts streaking blood across his face, and his clothes are definitely torn.

But there is one card face-up on the field that wasn't there before the coin exploded. "I play… the Trap… _Black-Winged Arrow_… This ne-negates _Primal Dialga's_ effects because I have… four 'Blackwing' monsters with different names in my Graveyard…"

A single, razor-sharp black feather appears in front of Crow. It streaks across the sky, piercing the diamond on _Primal Dialga's_ chest. The blue creature roars in anguish, because time returns to its normal flow the moment the feather hits it.

"There… now Yusei has… something…" Crow mumbles before returning to his team's pit.

**To be continued…**

Me: …Well, this turned out to be more Duel over story than I expected it to. Also making obscure references to existing cards seemed to be a thing…

Sky: Like what?

Me: _Mechanical Dimension_ is a less destructive, Machine-Type version of _Dimension Voyage_, _Synchro Impulse_ is a non-effect-negating version of _Shadow Impulse_… Oh, and _The Hanged Man's Release_ is similar to the Trap Cards Z-ONE used in the anime (because they're based on tarot cards like the Arcana Force archetype)… Lots of fun, just like the next chapter will be…

Sky: Fun as in, we'll laugh or fun as in, evil.

Meri: Evil, of course! What else would we be doing?

Me: Meri's right. Just know that neither _Fallen Nova Dragon_ nor _Primal Dialga_ come even _close_ to being Dusk's best card.

Sky: *Sigh* Just don't leave us hanging for a month…

Me: I can't help it! My muses have a thing with this story. Write a chapter, get writer's block for a week to a month. Write another chapter, more writer's block. For some reason, Crimson Feathers is a _whole_ lot easier to write.

Lucy: Don't forget Shimmer!

Me: *Nods and shrugs* Yeah, but Shimmer is a pure humor fanfic, and can't really compare to Crimson Feathers or Blue Sky…

Rudolph: Arf! Arf!

Me: I know, I know. Thanks to anyone who has reviewed this story in the past! Please, leave a review on this chapter! I'd love to hear what you guys think about the Duel thus far, and any room for improvement! Tell me, please!


	55. Chapter 55: Mechanical Misery

Me: Woot, Blue Sky is getting an update!

Sky: And within a decent amount of time, too!

Me: *Nods* I know, right? …Too bad that might not happen again.

Sky: Why?

Me: _Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy_ comes out on Friday. Once I get it, it will probably be the only thing I do for a week. Or several days. However long it takes me to beat it.

Sky: *Sigh* Why am I not surprised?

Me: Because you know me too well… Anyways, I'll get to the chapter now. I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds, but I do own my OCs. Enjoy?

**Chapter 55**

Yusei rides out and catches up to us, a look of pure confusion written on his face.

'_Dusk's monster froze time,'_ I think to him. _'At least, to everyone except us. We kept Dueling, and Crow managed to negate her monster's effects before losing. Also, the Spell she has out prevents us from gaining Speed Counters or using _Speed World 2_. That answer your questions?'_

'_Yeah.'_ He offers me a half-smile.

"I assume Sky just caught you up on what happened?" Dusk asks Yusei. "In that case, let the Duel continue!"

"That makes it my turn!" I shout, drawing my card. I'll have to ignore what happened to Crow for the moment… Looking at my card, I smile. It's not a monster, but the Speed Spell I just drew will definitely help keep my dragon safe from _Granel_. The only problem is if he can negate it… I think playing defensive might be the best idea. "I Summon _Celestial Defender_ in Defense Mode!"

**Celestial Defender ATK: 500, DEF: 2000, Level 4**

A man in large, clearly heavy, white armor appears on my field. He holds a large shield in front of him. The shield has a star on the front, and it glows a little. My monster turns blue, showing him being in Defense Mode.

I continue, "Then I activate _Xerneas, Restorer of Life's_ ability! By skipping my Battle Phase, I can Special Summon a monster from anyone's Graveyard in Defense Mode! I choose… _Blackwing-Gale the Whirlwind_ which resides in Yusei's Graveyard!"

"I counter with the effect of _Granel Guard 3_," Jakob says. "Once a turn, it can negate the activation of an Effect Monster's ability."

The robot's left arm shoots out a beam that causes my deer to return to his normal position. I scowl a little, because had that effect worked, I could have gotten rid of _Primal Dialga_ and _Meklord Emperor Granel Infinity_. "Fine, I switch _Celestial Dragon-Quasar _and _Xerneas, Restorer of Life_ to Defense Mode. I'll set two cards face-down and end my turn."

"Your efforts are foolish, Fudos. We know your Decks inside and out, and we can counter anything either of you throw at us," Jakob says. "Whereas you know little of ours! It's my turn, I draw!"

'_He's right, you know,'_ Yusei's voice echos in my head. _'They should know our cards, if they are who they claim to be.'_

'_Yeah, I know. But I think they might be lying. We know Jakob and Primo can fuse with their Duel Runners, something that humans can't do, even _if_ they say they're from the future.'_

'_That _is_ something I've been meaning to ask about,' _Yusei replies. _'Should we ask now?'_

'_No, I think we should wait. Dusk might have something up her sleeve when it comes to this.'_

"I release _Granel Attack_ in order to Special Summon _Granel Attack 3_!" the elder Duelist declares, snapping our attention back to the Duel.

**Granel Attack 3 ATK: 1800, DEF: 0, Level 3**

The left arm morphs slightly, to make the end of its arm, where the cannon is, appear like a mouth. It also gains more segmented plates.

"_Meklord Emperor Granel Infinity_, attack _Xerneas, Restorer of Life_!"

The robot turns around abruptly, launching a beam of energy at my, I mean Shoshan's, monster.

"Not so fast! I activate the Continuous Trap _Fairy Aura_!" I shout. A barrier appears around _Xerneas_, taking the damage from the attack. "As long as _Xerneas, Restorer of Life_ is out, all LIGHT monsters gain 1000 ATK and DEF! Also, the turn this card is activated, my monsters can't be destroyed in battle!"

**Celestial Dragon-Quasar ATK: 3000 to 4000, DEF: 2000 to 3000; Xerneas, Restorer of Life ATK: 4000 to 5000, DEF: 4000 to 5000; Celestial Defender ATK: 500 to 1500, DEF: 2000 to 3000**

I let out a small sigh of relief. I don't want _Xerneas_ being destroyed. Thank goodness I drew that card last turn; thank goodness Shoshan gave it to me in the first place.

"Yes, that card protects _your_ monsters, but what about Yusei's?" Jakob asks.

I blink, raising an eyebrow. "No, but you already used your attack…"

He smiles, "_Granel Attack 3_ has the ability to allow a Synchro Monster equipped to _Meklord Emperor Granel_ battle, regardless of it being in my Spell and Trap Card Zone. Also, piercing damage is inflicted during these battles, in exchange for not letting that Synchro Monster attack directly." Done explaining his card, Jakob points at the transparent pink bird. "I use _Blackwing Tamer-Hawk Joe_ to attack _Blackwing-Calima the Haze_!"

Neither of us have anything to stop the attack, so the bird-man is ejected from the orange robot's chest compartment and, by the power of the tentacles of light, is forced to punch the ghost-bird into oblivion. When the small bird shatters, the explosion sends Yusei slightly off-course. He quickly rights himself, though.

**Yusei's Life Points: 3200**

With the attack done, the light-tentacles retract, pulling _Hawk Joe_ back into the robot.

"That ends my turn," Jakob says.

"Finally, it's my turn!" Yusei draws his card, looking at it.

'_You have a plan, Yusei?'_ I think.

'_Maybe. If only we could get rid of _Temporal Collapse_…'_

I stare at the card in question. _'If only we could make it go face-down, and follow through with a card that destroys it…'_

'_That's it!'_

"I activate my Trap _Down Burst_, left behind by Crow!" Yusei shouts, revealing his face-down card. "This sets all Spell and Trap Cards currently face-up on the field!"

"I beg to differ, Yusei," Dusk says. "When it is my opponent's turn, and they activate a Trap Card, I can activate a Trap called _The Fool's Ransom_ from my hand! First off, it negates the effects of your Trap."

Yusei says nothing, but I can feel that he's a bit angry that his strategy was put to a halt.

"The second effect is that I'm allowed to add a card from my Deck to my hand," Dusk says. A card slides out of her Deck, into her hand. She grins slightly, but other than that, her face remains emotionless. "That's all the Trap does. You may continue your turn."

"…Then I Summon _Max Warrior_ in Attack Mode!" my brother announces.

**Max Warrior ATK: 1800, DEF: 800, Level 4**

A monster with dark orange-brown arms and legs, and metal spikes protruding from his shoulders appears in front of Yusei. The monster holds a two-pronged lance.

"_Max Warrior_, attack _Primal Dialga_!" Yusei shouts, pointing at the monster that is now only a shell of what it had been.

_Max Warrior_ jumps up, spinning his lance before going to strike.

"Wrong again, Brother," Dusk smirks. "I activate the effect of the _Fallen Star Guardian_ in my hand. By discarding him, I can prevent my monster from being destroyed in battle _and_ I take no Battle Damage this turn."

A man with cracked and muddy dark-grey armor appears, holding a shield in front of him. The shield takes the lance's strike, and the man vanishes.

I clench my fist. The way the word 'brother' came out of her mouth feels unnatural to me, yet she said it like it was normal for her. Yusei is _my_ brother not hers. Yet we are one and the same, so… Why does time travel have to be so complicated?

"After he attacks, _Max Warrior_ is switched into Defense Mode, and his power is cut in half," Yusei says. "I set two cards face-down and end my turn."

**Max Warrior ATK: 1800 to 900, DEF: 800 to 400, Level 4 to 2**

Instead of taking her turn, Dusk cackles maniacally. "That has _got_ to be the most pathetic first turn you've ever done, Yusei! Have you finally decided that Synchro Summoning is the wrong way to go?"

"I don't believe in that future of yours, Dusk!" Yusei retorts. "No one can know exactly what the future holds! You may take my lack of Synchro Summoning as a sign of my defeat, but… the truth is I didn't draw a Tuner."

"It's still a sign!" Dusk hisses. "Your Deck has so many Tuners, there's only a slim chance something like this could happen! This _is_ a sign—you might be in this Duel with conviction, but your Deck isn't! And if your cards don't want to listen…" She smiles, "You stand no chance! It's my… turn!"

As my future self draws her card, a shiver runs up my spine. I'm nervous about what Dusk has in store now… The last time a shiver ran up my spine in a Duel was when Kalin added _Earthbound Immortal Uru_ to his hand per _Hundred-Eyes Dragon's_ effect. This can't mean anything good…

More evil laughter comes from my future self; so much that even Jakob seems a little worried. "You… have no idea what's coming!" Dusk shouts. "My Deck fights with every ounce of spirit it has, and I now have the two cards I need to seal my victory! But first, I need the final piece of the puzzle… I activate the last Trap I own that can be activated from the hand, _The Hierophant's Vision_!"

Someone dressed in black robes, lined with gold and dark purple, appears at the center of the field. A hood is pulled over their head, so I can't tell if the figure is a man or a woman. The person holds a staff over their head.

Dusk stares at the hologram and yells, "The amount of Life Points I pay are 3300!"

The cloaked figure nods, and a bolt of lighting from the end of the staff strikes Dusk. She takes it without so much as a grunt of pain. After the burst of electricity, the figure vanishes, but a golden orb remains in their place.

**Dusk's Life Points: 1100**

"Wondering why I did that?" Dusk asks. "_The Hierophant's Vision_ allows me to pay any number of Life Points I choose to. In exchange, everyone is forced to Special Summon a monster with ATK or DEF equal to that amount from either their Deck or Extra Deck, if they have one."

'_3300?'_ I think. _'I don't have one… but who does? …Wait a minute, _Shooting Star Dragon_ has 3300 ATK!'_ I glare at Dusk, "I don't know _why_, but is that your goal?" I ask. "To make Yusei bring out his Accel Synchro?"

Dusk merely smiles in return, as _Shooting Star Dragon_ flies out of the golden orb. The orb then disappears, as the silver dragon is apparently the _only_ one among all of the cards the four of us have that has that exact ATK.

**Shooting Star Dragon ATK: 3300, DEF: 2500, Level 10**

Normally I'd be glad to see Yusei's dragon, but this reeks of a trap, and so I'm more worried that glad.

"Any monster Summoned by my Trap has its effect negated," Dusk continues, still smiling.

"_Shooting Star Dragon_, _Celestial Dragon-Quasar_, _Meklord Emperor Granel_, and _Primal Dialga_… Dusk, you can't possibly be planning to bring out _that_ monster, are you?" Jakob asks, worry laced in his voice.

"I am and I will!" Dusk replies. "I activate the _Speed Spell-Overspeed Fusion_!" A swirling vortex of blackness appears above us. "I remove all 12 Speed Counters and now… you know how _Super Polymerization_ allows a Fusion Summon with monsters on both sides of the field? _Overspeed Fusion_ does just that!"

**Dusk S.C. 0**

"No way…" I mumble.

"_Shooting Star Dragon_, _Celestial Dragon-Quasar_, _Meklord Emperor Granel_, and _Primal Dialga_ are the Fusion Material Monsters!" Dusk shouts. "_Born from the emptiness of hope long since destroyed, descend from the heavens and entrap all in endless despair! Fusion Summon! Meklord Astro Dragon Misery_!"

The four monsters named are absorbed into the black spiral, with the remaining pieces of _Granel_ shattering. Moments later, the spiral explodes, and I shield my eyes. When I look back, I gasp in horror. Dusk's new monster retains a chest compartment like _Granel_ and the fin-like crest that _Primal Dialga_ had, only around its neck. The rest of the creature looks more dragon-like, with the wings similar to _Shooting Star Dragon's_, only metallic. Its head looks like a standard dragon's head, covered with metal plates. The creature's entire body is a dark shade of purple.

**Meklord Astro Dragon Misery ATK: 8000, DEF: 8000, Level 12**

For a moment, I have no idea where Dusk is—she and her Duel Runner are gone—and then I see. At the center of the dragon's chest compartment, thick cables have extended, all holding Dusk up. Her Duel Disk has turned into one like the Emperors of Yliaster have—that is, the green light.

"What… what _are_ you…?" I ask slowly. "You aren't… neither of you are human, are you?"

"I was waiting for you to ask!" Dusk shouts. "The answer to your question is that we aren't human anymore."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Yusei returns.

"It means exactly what you think it does," my so-called future self replies. She closes her eyes, and a tear falls down her face. "We aren't humans anymore; just mechanical parts with human memories inside."

"Then your future is a lie!" I shout.

Her eyes snap back open, filled with rage. "No, the future we showed you _isn't_ a lie. _We_ lived through it! _We_ tried to stop it! But even the inability to age couldn't stop us from catching a virus…"

_Meklord Astro Dragon Misery_ roars, and once again, I'm in that empty whiteness, with a scene playing out below.

**XXX**

"_M-Meema, I-I'm wowwied 'bout Lestew and Hana,"_ the four-year-old girl whimpers.

Sky wraps a comforting arm around her daughter. _"They'll be fine, Aurelia. Just a little stomach bug."_ But in truth, she can't even convince herself that nothing is wrong. A simple stomach bug doesn't last for over a week. A simple stomach bug doesn't make someone cough up blood.

The scene flashes forward, to a tearful Sky being comforted by someone in stark white clothes, and who is wearing a mask. _"I don't understand… why did it have to strike them first…? Aurelia… Lester… Hana… and they might never wake up again…" _She clenches a fist and hits the wall next to the two. _"And all of the others are showing the beginning signs of it."_

"…"

"_Why now, Z-ONE? Why did it have to strike when we're so close to being able to fix everything?" _Sky shakes her head. _"Maybe our efforts really are f-futile…"_

"_No, they aren't,"_ the man in white says, though his voice is disguised. _"We can't let this stop us. There is _always_ a way; we just need to find it."_

"…_But what will that way cost us?" _Sky asks. _"The lives of the others? I wish there was something we could do to reverse the effects of this wretched disease…"_

The room stays silent for a moment. _"Perhaps… we can't reverse the effects… but we can take their memories. Find a host and put them in it."_

"_You mean, robots?"_ The woman shakes her head. _"I can't believe it's come to this, then…"_

Once again, the scene skips, to where a deathly pale Sky is lying, half-conscious, inside of a capsule not unlike the ones at the Arcadia Movement. The man in white—Z-ONE—sits next to her, holding her hand.

"_You're… going to have to… finish the designs without me…"_ Sky mumbles.

"_Sky, don't, please don't go to sleep. I can't… I can't finish the designs without you. I… c-can't… I can't lose you again! Not like this!"_

"_A…gain…?" _Sky coughs several times.

"_F-Forgive me, I didn't…"_ Z-ONE's shoulder sag. _"I'll finish the designs. I'll make sure that you all come back."_

"_Again… ah, that explains…"_ And then she suddenly stops talking, her mouth stuck in a half-smile, and eyes sealed shut.

**XXX**

"…You see, the disease rendered us not much more useful than the future Yusei; trapped in comas we had no hope of waking up from," Dusk says. "Transferring our memories like this was the only way we could keep fighting. It _is_ one of the reasons we want to change the past so badly, because if we succeed… we'll be human again."

"No, you'll cease to exist," I say. "By changing the past, you've altered the future that you're from, and so _you_ simply won't exist."

"Yes, we're well aware of that," Jakob says.

"If it means sacrificing myself to allow some version of me to live on in the near future, then so be it!" Dusk adds. "Not just her, but _everyone_!"

"…There's one hole in your plan," Yusei says. "Sky and I aren't going to sit by and let you change the past by destroying Neo Domino City. You're going to have to get rid of us first, and that would mean that you really would cease to exist, Dusk—you and any other version of you. That means Aurelia would never exist and… and Hana wouldn't either, because of me."

"We're aware of that too!" Dusk retorts. "You've only seen fractions of what we've lived through, and not even the full extent of all the emotions we've felt during them! I can't speak for any of the others, but my life has been full of hurt, and I'll gladly give my life if it means others don't have to suffer through it!"

"I second that statement," Jakob says.

'_They're so confident it sickens me,'_ I think. _'I can't believe that Dusk, that _I_, would be able to go through with this… this plan of theirs. No matter what the backstory is.'_

We're back at the Combat Lane now, the three of us on Duel Runners and Dusk attached to her dragon. "_Meklord Astro Dragon Misery_ cannot attack on the turn it is Summoned; however, I can activate its effect! It can absorb a Synchro Monster from anywhere—the field, the Graveyard, even being removed from play—except from the Extra Deck. _Misery_ then gains its ATK, and also any abilities that monster might have. For the moment, _Red Nova Dragon_ seems to be the best option!"

Tentacles of light shoot from the mechanical dragon's chest compartment, into a cloud of shadows that appears in the sky. When they retract, the black-and-red dragon is struggling against them, but can't break free and is pulled into the chest compartment.

**Meklord Astro Dragon Misery ATK: 8000 to 12500**

"Oh, but the effect gets even better! When this effect is used, I can destroy a monster on the field whose ATK is lower than the ATK of the Synchro Monster just absorbed!" Dusk exclaims. "_Black-Winged Dragon_, you fit the bill! _Desperation Wave_!"

_Misery_ flaps its wings, and a sonic wave strikes the black-feathered dragon square in the chest. _Black-Winged Dragon_ lets out a cry of anguish and shatters into a million pieces.

"Nothing good lasts forever! Not bonds, not hope, not light! They only leave heartbreak, despair, and darkness in their wake!" Dusk screams. "_This_ is the symbol of humanity's downfall! _Meklord Astro Dragon Misery_ is going to complete the Circuit, and usher in a new era! One where we can make the light last longer! On my next turn, one of you is going to lose. So, make it count! Turn… end!"

I draw my card without saying anything. My thoughts are swirling around too much for me to say much. She said that Crow was going to lose, and he did at the exact same time she said it would. _Misery's_ effects haven't even fully been revealed. With a deep breath, I look at my card. And nearly choke in surprise. Instead, I cough a few times, trying to cover it up.

"You alright?" Yusei asks, worried a little.

"I'm fine," I reply. I look back at the card. Maybe it's not the one I wanted, but it'll certainly do, as long as everything goes the way I need it to… "I set a card face-down and end my turn."

"One face-down, huh?" Dusk taunts. "I hope Yusei can do better than that!"

"I doubt it," Jakob comments. "Not while your dragon is on the field. It's my turn, I draw!" He draws his card, and the edges of his mouth curl up slightly. "I set a card face-down and end my turn."

'_Hypocrites!'_ I think. _'If all I do is set a card, it's a bad move. But if that's all he does, she doesn't even bat an eye!'_

"Enough with predicting our defeat!" Yusei shouts. "You don't know how this Duel is going to turn out, so stop bragging like you know everything! It… It's my turn!" He draws his card. "I Summon _Shield Wing_ in Defense Mode and end my turn…"

**Shield Wing ATK: 0, DEF: 900, Level 2**

Dusk shakes her head. "Oh Yusei, that wasn't much better than Sky's turn. Although, I guess it doesn't matter because Sky is the one who loses during my turn." She snickers, "It's my turn!" Not even looking at her new card, she bellows, "_Meklord Astro Dragon Misery_, attack _Xerneas, Restorer of Life_! _Illusory Death_!"

This time, the mechanical dragon roars and shoots a wide laser of purple light straight at my majestic deer. The laser shatters _Xerneas_ and, as I look back, takes out a section of the combat lane as well. If it wasn't already, this Duel just became a matter of life or death. I hope that the end is life…

"_Misery's_ other effect now activates!" Dusk cries. "When it destroys a monster in battle, my opponent takes damage equal to that monster's ATK!"

"What?" I shout. There's no way my Life Points can withstand damage of that amount. I don't have any cards to counter the damage, either… I have to take it… _'But then the card I drew can help… somehow…'_

"Sky! No!" Yusei shouts.

The dragon shoots another laser, this time at me instead of a monster. I close my eyes and grit my teeth. Everything suddenly bursts into searing pain, like I was just thrown into a fire. I can't hold in the scream of anguish, even though I want to. _'Bear the pain, Sky. Bear the pain. If you let it get to you, that card will be useless…'_

**Sky's Life Points: 0**

When I open my eyes, I can see that I'm somehow still riding alongside the other three Duelists, Dusk and Jakob looking at me with annoyance and Yusei with relief. _'Now!'_ "I activate my Trap _Crimson Star Prophecy_!" I declare, revealing my face-down.

"Impossible!" Dusk shouts. "There's no way you should have that card! It's… it's not possible!"

"Well you'd better look again, because I'm sure as heck using it Dusk!" I retort. I quickly explain the effects of the card to Jakob and Yusei (the former was also confused. For claiming to know my Deck, he must not have as well as he thought). That I get one more turn, that if I get their Life Points to zero during it, I win. But that's not my goal. My goal is to get Dusk out of the picture, and to give Yusei the chance to beat Jakob.

"It's my turn!" I declare, drawing my card. I smile, because it's the perfect one for a time like this. "I activate my Trap _Call of the Haunted_ and bring back _Celestial Dragon-Quasar_!" I start. After my dragon reappears, I continue by declaring, "Now I follow through with the _Speed Spell-Celestial Shockwave_! I remove 4 Speed Counters to let _Quasar_ attack you directly this turn!"

**Sky S.C. 8**

"No!" Dusk shouts.

"Yes!" Yusei yells, even louder.

"_Celestial Dragon-Quasar_! Attack Dusk directly with _Quasar Flash_!" I shout.

'_Anything to put an end to that hideous creature,'_ my dragon replies. _'Even if I don't get to face it directly.'_ She pulls her head back, flaps her purple wings, and a burst of silver fire flies from her mouth, striking the still-screaming Dusk head-on. The attack forcibly detaches her from her dragon, and she falls. Into the ocean.

**Dusk's Life Points: 0**

Her dragon, on the other hand, doesn't just vanish. It falls apart, piece by piece, slowly vanishing into a portal on the ground.

I don't realize that the portal isn't actually the hologram to the Graveyard until I'm riding over it… and falling into it. The brightness of the portal becomes too much, and before I have time to string a complete thought line together—like where I'm going or how Yusei is going to react or if he's also fallen through—everything turns black.

**To be continued…**

Me: …Yep, another cliffhanger. Sorry, but it's how it happens.

Sky: I hate these cliffhangers. I expect them to come, and I still hate them.

Me: Same here… *Sigh* I hope people like this chapter… *Grin* …Because the next chapter transitions to and will most likely start the Ark Cradle arc.

Sky: Great… I'm extremely worried about that…

Me: Again, same here. My muses are and have been excited about writing it since starting Blue Sky, which means there's going to be _a lot_ of weird and/or evil plot twists coming.

Sky: Evil as in character death, or evil as in, not deaths but torture?

Lucy: Both! You should've paid closer attention to what Z-ONE said in the one scene this chapter! Oh, I can't _wait_ to write my version of his backstory… *Dreamy look in eyes*

Shade: You mean _our_ version. You aren't the only one who works on this stuff.

Lucy: Whatever, Mr. Grumpypants.

Me: Lucy, you're acting really childish right now… Stop before you make Shade mad. *Ducks and narrowly dodges a thrown fireball* Okay, too late for that…

Shade *Lights another fireball* I AM NOT GRUMPY! I'M TIRED OF YOU TRYING TO TAKE ALL THE CREDIT! *Charges after Lucy*

Me: Great, looks like I have _another_ situation to deal with… Uhm, please review! I'd like to hear what you thought of this chapter!


	56. Chapter 56: Ark Cradle's Descent

Me: Okay, looks like you guys are getting an update for this!

Sky: What about Crimson Feathers and Shimmer… and Blazing Shadows?

Me: Uh… I claim writer's block on the first and last options, and trying to figure out what to use on Shimmer.

Lucy: She's telling the truth…

Meri: *Pokes head in the door* Can I have Kitty back? I need to vent some energy.

Me: No, I told you your rights to Giratina have been revoked for three months. If you want to vent some energy, either write or try and solve some puzzles from _The Azran Legacy_.

Meri: Fine… writing it is…

Me: Okay, then I get to play my game. *Smiles, then frowns* Well, as soon as I get this chapter out… I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds, but I do own Sky, my OCs, and some of the plot. As a fair warning, a couple characters (by which I mean Z-ONE and Paradox) might seem like they're OOC during this, but you have to remember that this is an AU, so… Ah well, enjoy!

**Chapter 56**

I wake up to the sound of running electronics and feeling like I was hit by a truck, backed over by it, and then dropped off the top of a fifty-story building. Something cool is pressed up against the right side of my face and my hands. It's floor tile… I think. Painfully, I open one eye. Yep, it's floor tile, and I'm lying face-down on it.

I let out a groan as I manage to pull myself to a sitting position, leaning back against some metal object. My eyes are still shut, and I sit there for several minutes, breathing slowly and trying to remember what just happened.

_Meklord Astro Dragon Misery_. The dark purple, half-robot, half-dragon looms in the back of my memory, with Dusk attached to its chest.

_Dusk and Jakob and the others are robots._ The cause of a disease rendering their human bodies useless, and a memory transfer.

_Crimson Star Prophecy_. The card I shouldn't have drawn saved me, for one turn at least.

_I defeated Dusk, without having to face her monster_. The direct attack launched by _Celestial Dragon-Quasar_ took away the rest of her Life Points, and severed her connection to her monster.

_There was some sort of portal… and I fell into it_. Yes, I remember now. I fell through the portal and ended up here… wherever 'here' is.

Another wave of pain rushes over me. I crack open my lips and whisper, "Dziedet…" Heal. The pain leaves instantly, replaced by exhaustion from using a spell. It takes me a few minutes before I can actually stand, and I can only do that by using the machine next to me as a prop.

'_Wait a moment… this isn't just some machine,'_ I think. Painted black, the thing in front of me looks like the pod-things the Arcadia Movement had. It has a person in it. Not just any person, either. I take a step back, pressing a hand over my mouth to stop myself from screaming.

The person in the pod is me. Or, the future me, for that matter.

Still backing up, I hit something metal—another pod—and almost trip backwards over it. This one also has a person in it—Jakob.

I'm taller than the pods, so I can see around the room. There are more of them, all lined up in a neat little row. Still shocked, and yet curious at the same time, I look at the people held in the rest of the pods. Primo, some blonde guy I don't recognize, Bruno, Aurelia, Hana, Lest—wait a moment. I back up a little bit, and stare at the fifth pod I passed.

Other than having extremely pale skin, the unconscious man in the pod is an _exact_ replica of Bruno. But how? Dusk never showed us anything about him. In fact, she kept mentioning Paradox, Antinomy, and Z-ONE, the only survivors that I haven't met. So… why would they have Bruno here?

"Don't touch that."

I spin around to see who spoke using a disguised voice. It's a man—I'm _pretty_ sure it's a man—in white clothes with a dark-grey cape over his shoulders, orange gems set on the part of it that meets the collar of the man's shirt. His face is covered by a grey mask with a slit on the left side, almost like my brother's Criminal Mark, and a white helmet over his head, practically connected to the mask. There's a crack, though, between the mask and the helmet on the left side, wide enough for me to see that the man's left eye is a deep blue. Again, like Yusei's.

"Who are you?" I demand. "Where am I? And… and… why do you have my friend?" I gesture to the pod with Bruno in it.

"More than one question at once, as I expected." He makes a clicking noise with his tongue. "You are on the Ark Cradle."

"Not possible!" I exclaim. "It's in the future, isn't it? It's _supposed_ to be trapped in the future, unless… Did my brother lose?"

"No, the Duel is still going on," the man before me replies. "Though it does not matter. The Circuit has gathered more than enough energy to be completed no matter who wins."

No words come out of my mouth. _'So, we fought for nothing?'_ I think.

"You are lucky to have survived falling through that portal," he continues. "Had it been anyone else, they would have died. It was not made for humans, only for the robots."

"Okay…" He must be talking about Dusk and the others. "Uhm… that answers one question…"

"Z-ONE."

"What?"

"My name. It's Z-ONE."

I blink, absorbing the information. Even with a disguised voice, this 'Z-ONE' doesn't sound convinced that that's his name. Since it's all he's given me, I'll have to accept it. "Fair enough. What about Bruno? Why is he here?"

"Ah yes, Bruno. The name Sector Security gave him after the result another of Primo's mistakes." Z-ONE chuckles. "That man in the pod is not Bruno, nor is the friend you've made actually named that. His name is actually Antinomy. In fact, the man you know as Bruno is just another of the robots."

I shake my head furiously. "No, no, Bruno isn't… he's not…"

"You don't have to believe it, but he truly is not from your time. The amnesia wasn't planned, mind you, but he still accomplished his goal. We sent him back in time to teach you and Yusei about the power of Accel Synchro; our last effort at a peaceful solution to avert this future…"

"Shut up!" I shout. "Bruno is Bruno, not Antinomy! He's _my_ friend, not _yours_!"

For a moment, the man is silent. "I never claimed Antinomy was my friend," Z-ONE says. "At best, you could say that Dusk was. But not Antinomy, not him nor any of the others."

"What is that supposed to mean?" I ask.

"The others fight to change the future," he replies, "but my motivation is not that."

"Then… what is it?"

"Home," Z-ONE says. "I'll be able to get home when the Ark Cradle crashes into Neo Domino City."

'_Okay, not what I was expecting. Where _is_ his home, in that case?'_ Then I realize what he said. "You say 'when', but it really should be 'if'. I can vouch for my friends as well as myself—we won't let this happen without a fight."

My words seem to flip a switch in Z-ONE's attitude. Instead of being mostly cool and collected, he suddenly clenches both fists, and his lone blue eye glares at me. "Fools! You're all fools! Don't you know that selfless acts only bring pain to the ones you try to help? That the ones you leave behind are the ones who have to suffer?"

I don't say anything. I can't, because I have no idea what to say.

"Interfere with my plans and you'll all suffer the same fate!" Z-ONE shouts.

My head feels like it split open, and I suddenly have the sensation of falling. Falling through the sky, past some buildings, past a screaming Lazar on one of them, and the sight of the pavement coming so much closer. Failure and defeat fills my soul, but it doesn't feel like it belongs to me.

My perception changes, to where the emotions that fill me are fear and worry. This time I'm not falling; I'm flying instead, watching Yusei pitch head-first to the pavement. My own voice shouts his name, and I come mere inches from being able to catch him… but he hits the pavement, and flattens like a pancake.

That vision cuts out, and I'm gasping for breath. My face feels wet, and I realize I'm crying.

"Yes, your brother will die if he boards the Ark Cradle," Z-ONE says. "As will you and your friends."

"No…"

Another short silence, and Z-ONE turns around, starting to walk out of the room. "I have things to prepare for. Your Duel Runner is behind Dusk's capsule. You'll have to wait until the Circuit is completed to do anything, but once it works, you'll be able to go back to your city. You'll also be able to warn your brother—him and your friends."

With that he walks out the door, leaving me to my own thoughts.

**XXX**

I take the giant flash of light and lots of shaking as a fact that the Circuit was completed, and the Ark Cradle plunged back to my time. I can only hope that Yusei won the Duel, even if it doesn't make a difference. My mind still feels funky, so communicating via a mind-link isn't the best idea. I right my Duel Runner, and check everything. My computer is practically screaming low Ener-D readings, and I frown.

'_Do not worry, little one. It will work,'_ Reshiram says. _'I will power your Duel Runner.'_

I press the button to connect my computer to my phone, pull up my contacts, and press 'Yusei'. My screen fizzes to life, and my brother's worried face appears on the screen. _"Sky?"_ he asks.

"Yeah, it's me." I smile, and then grimace. "So… you know about Ark Cradle…"

"_I don't understand, I defeated Aporia… this should have been stopped…"_

"Aporia?"

"_Oh, you didn't see… Well, the three Emperors combined into one, named Aporia. It's a long story."_

"Tell me later, then. What are you trying to do now?"

"_I'm trying to find a way onto Ark Cradle. The Reactor on it is spinning in reverse, powered by four Planetary Gears. We need to stop the gears, and make the Reactor spin in the right direction, and that will stop its descent."_

"_Who are you talking to, Yusei?"_ Crow's voice echoes in the background.

"_Sky,"_ he replies.

The screen blurs as all of my friends try to cram into the display. They all ask if I'm okay, and I say that I am. I am, physically, so it has to be the truth, right? I shake my head. "Guys, this isn't the time. You… you need to work on evacuating Neo Domino, not trying to get on here."

"_Out of the question,"_ Yusei replies. _"There isn't enough time for everyone to get out safely. Their only hope is if we stop it."_

"No, you can't come on here Yusei. Please…"

"_Did ya hit your head on something?"_ Crow asks. _"Where's the Sky I know, because you sure aren't talking like her."_

"I… I told you, I'm fine. You can't board the Ark Cradle, Yusei. None of you can."

"_You're going to have to explain yourself, Sky. Unless you give a good enough reason—"_

I cut Yusei off before he finishes his sentence. "I saw you die."

"—_we're going to… wait, what?"_

"I saw you die, Yusei… You… you'll die if you come here."

I end the call before he has any chance to argue. I know he'll come anyways; I know my brother. But my warning might make him cautious, at least. I sigh and lean back in my Duel Runner's seat. _'There are four Planetary Gears powering the Reactor on this. Maybe I could find one of them and… I don't know, stop it?'_

Yeah, that's just what I'll do. I'll take down one of the Planetary Gears.

**XXX**

After wandering through over a dozen hallways, three dead ends, and at one point ending up back where I started, I find myself in an extremely large room with the light source coming from the floor. More specifically, it's coming from a giant gear that looks like it's surrounded in Ener-D. This must be the place. Now… how to stop it…

"I was _hoping_ you'd be my opponent," an unfamiliar male voice says. "Looks like my wishes came true."

I recognize the man before me as the blonde guy from the one tank. The main difference is that this version of him has a jagged red eyepiece around his right eye, and layers of purple hair within the blonde. His gold eyes portray anger. The man is also wearing a sleeveless top—black on his sides and dark maroon along the front, with grey lines on it making it look a lot like a ribcage. His pants are black, and he has what looks like the lower half of a white trench coat over them.

"Who are you?" I ask.

"I am Paradox," the man replies, "and if you want to stop this Planetary Gear, you will have to defeat me in a Duel."

"Fair enough," I reply, detaching my Duel Disk from my Duel Runner. I strap on my Disk at the same time that I turn it on. "Let's do this thing!"

"Duel!"

**Paradox's Life Points: 4000, Sky's Life Points: 4000**

"You may go first," Paradox says, smiling.

"Fine then, I will! I draw!" I shout. I quickly examine my hand. "I'll start by Summoning the Tuner _Celestial Synchron_!"

**Celestial Synchron ATK: 700, DEF: 1800, Level 3**

A golden robot, whose body is shaped like a star, appears on my field.

"Using its effect, I Special Summon the Level 1 _Celestial Squire_!" I continue.

**Celestial Squire ATK: 0, DEF: 1000, Level 1**

A young boy carrying an excessive amount of armor and weapons appears next to the star-robot.

"Finally, because I control a face-up 'Celestial' monster, I can Special Summon _Celestial Wizard_ from my hand!" I shout.

**Celestial Wizard ATK: 1800, DEF: 1000, Level 4**

This time, it's a young man who appears. He wears white robes with stars on them, and holds a wooden staff that glows faintly.

'_I have a setup for _Quasar_, but I think a different monster should be used…'_ I think. "I Tune my Level 3 _Celestial Synchron_ with my Level 1 _Celestial Squire_ and Level 4 _Celestial Wizard_!" Three rings, four stars. "_When the world falls into darkness, a hero shall emerge to restore the light! Synchro Summon! Bring forth hope, Celestial Warrior-Hikari_!"

**Celestial Warrior-Hikari ATK: 2700, DEF: 1000, Level 8**

The column of light fades to reveal a woman in white armor. The armor has crystals set near the shoulders, wrists, and boots. _Celestial Warrior-Hikari_ wields a long sword that glows a shade of yellow.

"Since it's the first turn, I'll end with one face-down," I say.

"An interesting start," my opponent notes. "It doesn't matter, though! It's my turn, I draw!" He pulls the card off his Deck and looks at it. A grin rises on his face. "I activate the Field Spell _Malefic World_!"

Everything around us turns into a strange galaxy-like area, with magenta as the main shading.

"Now that the stage is set, I can Summon the first of my 'Malefic' monsters!" Paradox declares. "I remove from play the _Blue-Eyes White Dragon_ in my Deck in order to Special Summon _Malefic Blue-Eyes White Dragon_!"

**Malefic Blue-Eyes White Dragon ATK: 3000, DEF: 2500, Level 8**

The monster that appears looks a lot like the classic, only this one has a black-and-white mask over its face, and its wings are black, lined with white.

"That's an… interesting twist to the classic _Blue-Eyes_," I say. "But… now I'm curious as to what that Field Spell of yours does."

"Think of it this way. My cards are a lot like the Earthbound Immortals—they require a Field Spell on the field and only one can be on the field at a time," Paradox says.

I flinch a little at him casually mentioning the beasts that nearly destroyed the world. He said it like they were just normal cards!

"_Malefic World_ is a very special Field Spell. It allows more than one 'Malefic' monster to be on the field at a time, but I can only Special Summon one from my hand once a turn," Paradox continues explaining. "It has another effect, but it doesn't come into play until my next Draw Phase, so I'll share it then." He pauses to let this sink in. "_Malefic Blue-Eyes White Dragon_, attack _Celestial Warrior-Hikari_!"

The white dragon roars and blasts a straight line of pure energy at my female knight. _'Do I wait to use my Spell?'_ I think. _'No, he probably has a stronger monster and _Hikari's_ ability will come in handy if I face it.'_ I press a button on my Duel Disk. "I activate my Quick-Play Spell _Celestial Reflector_! This negates your attack, since I control a 'Celestial' monster."

A thin wall of light appears around _Hikari_, deflecting the dragon's attack.

Paradox narrows his eyes. "Hmm… Fine, I end my turn with two face-downs."

"Then it's my turn!" I draw my card. "I activate my Equip Spell _Celestic Battleaxe_!" I shout. "I equip it to _Hikari_, and she gains 1000 ATK!"

**Celestial Warrior-Hikari ATK: 2700 to 3700**

My knight's sword vanishes, only to be replaced by a large, silver axe.

"_Celestial Warrior-Hikari_! Attack _Malefic Blue-Eyes White Dragon_!" I cry.

_Hikari_ disappears for a moment, and reappears behind the white dragon. With a war cry, she slams her axe down on the dragon's neck, neatly decapitating it before it shatters. Several of the pieces strike Paradox, but he doesn't even flinch.

**Paradox's Life Points: 3300**

"I set a card and end my turn," I finish, smiling. It's not much, but I have an advantage now. I hope it stays this way… though it probably won't. After all, it's Paradox's Draw Phase now, and he _did_ say that _Malefic World's_ other effect would activate in it.

"Like I said, _Malefic World's_ effect now activates! Instead of conducting a normal draw, I can add a 'Malefic' monster from my Deck to my hand," Paradox says, smiling. "I choose to add _Malefic Cyber End Dragon_." The card slides out of his Deck, and he shows it to me before announcing, "I remove from play the _Cyber End Dragon_ from my Extra Deck to Special Summon _Malefic Cyber End Dragon_!"

**Malefic Cyber End Dragon ATK: 4000, DEF: 2800, Level 10**

Again, the monster that appears is almost the exact same as its normal counterpart. This dragon's wings are basically the same that _Malefic Blue-Eyes_ has. The dragon's leftmost head has a white mask, while the rightmost has a black one, and the middle has a mixture of the two.

'…_Yep, looks like I just lost field advantage. Does he know about my warrior's effect, though?'_

"_Malefic Cyber End Dragon_, attack _Celestial Warrior-Hikari_!" Paradox shouts.

'_Maybe not…'_

All three of the mechanical dragon's heads let out a burst of blue fire at the exact same time. My warrior tries to protect herself with her axe, but the attacks easily plow through it. A wave of force from the explosion knocks me down, but I stand back up, brushing off the front of my shirt.

**Sky's Life Points: 3700**

"Big mistake, Paradox," I say. "When _Celestial Warrior-Hikari_ battles, but is either destroyed or fails to destroy the other monster in battle—in this case, the first is true—she destroys the monster she battled with. Sorry, but your _Malefic Cyber End Dragon_ is doomed."

A ghost version of my knight, wielding a sword again, appears on the field. She swings it, slicing the mechanical dragon in two. When it explodes, _Hikari's_ ghost vanishes.

Paradox snarls a little. "Fine then, I activate the Quick-Play Spell _Malefic Divide_! This allows me to Special Summon a 'Malefic' monster from my Graveyard, but it is removed from play during my End Phase! I choose to revive _Malefic Cyber End Dragon_, and have it attack you directly!"

His mechanical dragon reappears on the field, and it starts another attack. I smile. "Not happening! I activate my Trap _Cry of Stars_!" I shout, revealing my face-down. "Because you're attacking me directly, I can negate the attack and Special Summon a 'Celestial' monster from my Graveyard, granting it 500 extra ATK and DEF. The only drawback is that the monster has to be Level 4 or lower, so I choose _Celestial Wizard_!"

Paradox's remaining dragon tries attacking, but a flash of light halts it. Then, my wizard reappears, his staff giving off a stronger glow than before.

**Celestial Wizard ATK: 1800 to 2300, DEF: 1000 to 1500**

"That's enough of your pesky combos!" Paradox shouts. "I haven't used my Normal Summon yet, so I bring out the Tuner _Malefic Parallel Gear_!"

**Malefic Parallel Gear ATK: 0, DEF: 0, Level 2**

A large dark-yellow gear appears next to my opponent. Its body, below the large gear, is a black cylinder, with two arm-like extensions attached. Smaller dark-yellow gears are placed in seemingly random places around the black metal.

'_A Tuner…? If Synchro Monsters caused the future that he lived through, shouldn't he shun their use like the others did? Well, maybe not Hana, but still…' _I think.

"_Malefic Parallel Gear_ allows me to use another 'Malefic' monster in my hand as a Synchro Material Monster," he continues. Then, he reveals a monster that looks oddly like _Stardust Dragon_ in his hand. "I Tune my Level 2 _Malefic Parallel Gear_ with my Level 8 _Malefic Stardust Dragon_!" Two rings, eight stars. That confirms my suspicion, though… "_Born from the threshold of the dimension of Darkness, time to lower the curtain of destruction on the stage that surpasses time and space! Synchro Summon! Malefic Paradox Dragon_!"

**Malefic Paradox Dragon ATK: 4000, DEF: 4000, Level 10**

A black dragon with an extremely skinny body appears. Its head has a ring of spikes sticking out from behind it, and white lines segmenting its wings, body, and tail. The dragon stares at me with its red eyes, and it swishes its tail back and forth, ready for a fight.

"When _Malefic Paradox Dragon_ is Synchro Summoned, I get to Special Summon a Synchro Monster from either player's Graveyard," Paradox continues. "Since your _Celestial Warrior-Hikari_ is the only option, I choose her." He smiles as my former knight joins his side of the field. "Oh, _Malefic Paradox Dragon_ has another very special ability, _Sin Drain_. Your monsters lose ATK equal to the total ATK of all other Synchro Monsters I control.

"What?" I gasp in surprise.

**Celestial Wizard ATK: 2200 to 0**

"I end my turn," Paradox says. "Good luck. I have yet to unveil my strongest monster."

'_Wait, _Malefic Paradox Dragon_ isn't his strongest?'_ I think. _'That complicates things… If only I could take out his Field Spell. That would level his monsters, right? He'd still have _Hikari_, but I can take out my own card easier than his dragon…'_

**To be continued…**

Me: Done! *Whips out 3DS and turns it on*

Sky: …You aren't going to say anything about the chapter?

Me: If you have any questions, ask Joseph. *Starts playing _Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy_*

Joseph: Yay, I get a job! So, what d'you want to know?

Sky: What the heck is Z-ONE's problem in this?

Joseph: Uhm… You'll have to wait! We're still planning it over. Ooh, but his dislike of selfless acts comes from his sisters dying to protect him… so…

Sky: *Facepalm* Great, now I'm _really_ worried about how far you're taking this.

Me: *Falls out of the chair* HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!

Sky: *Looks at Shimmering-Sky* Uh… should I be concerned?

Me: *Gets back on the chair, still laughing* L-Look at what Emmy called the main antagonist…

Sky: *Takes 3DS* "Descole? You don't mean Mr I-Like-to-Wreck-Things-with-Mechanical-Monsters-and-Dress-Up-Like-Posh-Ladies Descole?" *Laughs a little*

Me: I know, right? That's not even the best part! There's this one fight scene involving a police officer, five thugs with machine guns, a garbage can, and Emmy jumping off a roof! This game is awesome! …Which means, give it back. I have yet to beat it.

Sky: How far are you?

Me: I have three of the five Azran eggs. So, maybe halfway-ish? *Takes back the 3DS* Ahem, I'm probably going to start ignoring everything soon, so I'll ask for reviews as always! Please, leave one no matter how you feel about this story! I love feedback, whether it's positive or negative.


	57. Chapter 57: Malefic Truth

Me: Before I do anything else, I need to point out an error I made in the previous chapter. I had _Malefic Blue-Eyes_ randomly reappear on the field after Sky had destroyed it. I went back and changed it to _Malefic Cyber End Dragon_ being Special Summoned, and by the effect of the Quick-Play Spell _Malefic Divide_. If you have no idea what that Spell is, don't worry. Another copy of it is used in this chapter.

Sky: *Raises an eyebrow* You made a mistake while writing the Duel?

Me: *Nods* Yeah, I don't even know _what_ I was thinking there. But, hey, I fixed it. So it doesn't matter anymore.

Lucy: Nope, it doesn't!

Me: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds, but I do own my OCs and Paradox's backstory! Enjoy!

**Chapter 57**

Still staring at Paradox's dragon, I announce, "It's my turn, I draw!" I look at my card, snapping my attention away from _Malefic Paradox Dragon_ for the moment. It's a Spell that might be able to help me get the field advantage back, if I use it right. "I activate the Spell _Monster Reborn_!" While it would be interesting to use one of his own monsters against him, that _Malefic Paradox Dragon's_ ability isn't giving me the chance for it. "I choose to revive _Celestial Synchron_!"

My star-robot returns to my field. I smile a little and continue, "I Tune my Level 3 _Celestial Synchron_ with my Level 4 _Celestial Wizard_!" Three rings, four stars. "_When night comes to a close, a lone light rises to expel the darkness! Synchro Summon! Arise, Celestial Dragon-Sol_!"

**Celestial Dragon-Sol ATK: 2700, DEF: 1500, Level 7**

From the light, my golden-orange dragon appears. His blue eyes are filled with excitement, and he whips his tail anxiously. Unfortunately, the effect of _Malefic Paradox Dragon _kicks in, dimming my dragon's glow tremendously.

**Celestial Dragon-Sol ATK: 2700 to 0**

"When I Synchro Summon, I'm allowed to Special Summon the Tuner _Celestial Archer_ from my hand!" I continue, slamming the card onto my Disk.

**Celestial Archer ATK: 200 to 0, DEF: 1000**

A small boy in a white tunic, holding a bow in one hand, appears in front of me. There is a quiver of arrows on his back.

Paradox frowns a little as I say, "Now I activate _Celestial Dragon-Sol's_ ability! I remove from play _Celestial Squire_, and now I can destroy one card on the field! I choose… _Malefic World_!"

My opponent laughs, "Sorry, I reveal a second copy of _Malefic Divide_, and revive the _Malefic Stardust Dragon_ in my Graveyard. Oh, and _Malefic Stardust Dragon_ negates the destruction of all Field Spells while it's on the field."

I snarl a little as a _Stardust Dragon_ with black armor on its wings, head, and knees appears, taking the large wave of fire like it was nothing, instead of the card that makes this area look like outer space being burned. But then I smile, as I still have the chance to get rid of his monsters. "Fine then, I Tune my Level 2 _Celestial Archer_ with my Level 7 _Celestial Dragon-Sol_!" Two rings, seven stars. "_The boundaries of night and day come together now… Being of Light, rise! Synchro Summon! Come out, Celestial Dragon-Chaos_!"

**Celestial Dragon-Chaos ATK: 3200, DEF: 2600, Level 9**

A dragon whose left half is black with blue lines and right half white with orange lines appears on my field. Slowly, the white-and-orange overtakes the black-and-blue, allowing the six-winged dragon to shine as bright as possible, when under the influence of _Malefic Paradox Dragon's_ effect.

**Celestial Dragon-Chaos ATK: 3200 to 500**

"Now, for _Celestial Dragon-Chaos'_ ability!" I shout. "Much like _Sol's_, I banish a 'Celestial' card from my Graveyard—I choose _Celestial Reflector_—only this time, I can destroy up to two cards on the field! Since your Field Spell is still off-limits, I choose _Celestial Warrior-Hikari_," her effect would make any attacks on her suicidal, after all, "and _Malefic Paradox Dragon_."

Paradox merely smiles, shaking his head. "Such a typical move of yours, using one effect and, when it fails, figuring out a way to either use it again or use a stronger version of it. If you're only going to stick to such a strategy, you won't be able to defeat me."

I narrow my eyes at the blonde-and-purple-haired Duelist across from me. He doesn't move at all as my white-and-orange dragon launches two powerful fireballs at the monsters I named off. So, for what he just said, he doesn't have a way to block it? I guess not, because the fireballs hit their targets, and both the black dragon and the white knight turn to ashes.

I chuckle a little, "You know, for saying that my strategy won't let me win, you don't have much to back up that statement now, do you?"

"You speak too soon, Sky Fudo," Paradox replies, smiling. "Look at my field."

I do, frowning. The Field Spell, _Malefic Stardust Dragon_, and his face-down card. Wait… it isn't face-down anymore. My eyes widen, when had he activated that Trap?

"When _Malefic Paradox Dragon_ is destroyed, I am allowed to activate the Trap _Malefic Paradigm Shift_! By paying half of my Life Points, I can now Summon the strongest of my Malefic monsters, _Malefic Truth Dragon_!"

**Paradox's Life Points: 1650**

A purple vortex appears in front of Paradox, absorbing a ghost version of _Malefic Paradox Dragon_ into it. Then the vortex pulses a few times, until it explodes. In its place hovers a dark-yellow dragon with segmented plates along its body, and a red gem set in its chest. It has gigantic wings that are literally twice the size of its body. Plastered on the dragon's face is an extremely unnerving grin, made more disturbing by the creature's glowing red eyes. There are spikes on the dragon's back.

**Malefic Truth Dragon ATK: 5000, DEF: 5000, Level 12**

I take a few steps back in surprise. This creature resonates power, dark power, just like Paradox's Deck. And yet… and yet… I sense a stronger power, coming from his Deck. Not necessarily dark, but… I shake my head. For now, I have to deal with this powerhouse. I look at my hand. Nothing to make _Celestial Dragon-Chaos_ stronger than _Malefic Truth Dragon_, but I at least have a Trap that will let me stall for a turn. "I set a card face-down and end my turn."

"And with it, _Malefic Stardust Dragon_ is removed from play," Paradox says without any sort of emotion. Then he smiles, "Now that it's my turn again, I can use the effect of _Malefic World_ again… but I think I'll pass, and draw normally this time." Instead of having a card slide out of his Deck, Paradox grabs the top card of his Deck, looks at it with a smile, and adds it to his hand.

'_He must seem confident that he doesn't need any more monsters, now that he has _Malefic Truth Dragon_ out,'_ I think. _'Or he wants to aim for drawing a Spell or Trap.'_

"I banish the _Rainbow Dragon_ in my Deck to Special Summon _Malefic Rainbow Dragon_!" Paradox yells.

**Malefic Rainbow Dragon ATK: 4000, DEF: 0, Level 10**

The dragon that appears is practically a replica of the normal _Rainbow Dragon_—same body, same color, same gems on its neck, same miniature golden wings—with the only difference being that its main wings aren't feathery anymore. The wings are covered in black armor that is lined with white.

'_Another monster? I don't know how many more turns I can last…'_

"_Malefic Rainbow Dragon_, attack that pesky _Celestial Dragon-Chaos_!" Paradox orders.

His white dragon blasts a stream of rainbow-colored energy at my dragon, who folds his wings as though he's trying to protect himself. I smirk and reveal my face-down. "_Hallowed Life Barrier_ makes my Life Points untouchable by your cards for the rest of the turn, and also keeps _Celestial Dragon-Chaos_ from being destroyed in battle as well," I explain as a silver barrier takes the burst of rainbow energy.

Paradox retains his gloating smile, "Then I'll simply wait until next turn. I set a card face-down and end my turn."

"It's my turn then, I draw!"

"Before you do anything, I activate the Trap _Malefic Claw Stream_!" Paradox calls. "Now, because I control a 'Malefic' monster, your precious dragon is destroyed!"

A shadow-like claw shoots out of _Malefic Truth Dragon_ and rips _Celestial Dragon-Chaos_ in two.

I quickly hide my disappointment and look at my hand. I have nothing to get myself out of this predicament, and I'm horribly, horribly screwed if he brings out another monster. I'm also doomed if he has an effect to negate monster cards… "Now… I Summon _Celestial Defender_ and… end my turn."

**Celestial Defender ATK: 500, DEF: 2000, Level 2**

A man in thick silver armor appears, brandishing a shield that has several five-pointed stars on it.

The purple-and-blonde man across from me laughs. "Once again, I pass on _Malefic World's_ effect, but it doesn't look like I'll need it!" He draws his card and adds it to his hand without looking at it. "_Malefic Rainbow Dragon_, attack _Celestial Defender_!"

There isn't anything I can do to stop this attack, so I just brace myself for whatever force will occur from my monster shattering. The rainbow blast hits, making _Celestial Defender_ explode, and I'm forced back several feet, into a wall. I flinch on impact. I didn't hit it very hard, but my body is still mostly sore from falling through that portal.

'_Here comes the real test…'_

"_Malefic Truth Dragon_, attack her directly and end this Duel!"

The dark-yellow dragon finally loses its creepy grin, just long enough to send a spiralling ball of purple energy flying at me. Then the grin returns as the sphere comes closer… ten feet… three feet… I shield my face with my arms as the blast hits me. Despite preparing myself for the attack, a scream of pain still escapes my lips, just like with _Meklord Astro Dragon Misery_. Only slightly less agonizing.

**Sky's Life Points: 100; Celestial Eagle ATK: 1000, DEF: 0, Level 1**

An eagle with silver-streaked feathers appears in front of me, quickly turning blue.

"When… my Life Points… would be made… zero," I huff out, "I can… Special Summon _Celestial Eagle_… from my hand… and make them 100 instead…"

But instead of getting some little burst of energy, like I normally do when I use this effect, an intense wave of agony fills my entire body. I fall to the ground with not so much as a whimper, but that is because I can't move at all. I can barely even breathe; I can only manage short, spaced out breaths that barely give me enough oxygen to stay conscious. Dots dance around my vision, and I see Paradox walk over to me. I lock eyes with him, and it looks like he speaks to me, but I can't hear it.

More dots fill up my vision, and I know I'm going to black out soon. _'But I can't! If I lose this Duel… then Neo Domino… it will… will…'_

'_I will not allow this to happen!'_ Reshiram's voice screeches in my head. _'Little one, it is my fault you have not been able to fully use the powers of the Crimson Dragon. I was afraid you could not handle the full power of two forces of light at once, but I see now that it is a risk that must be taken.'_

'…_hurry… can't… see…'_ Because my vision has totally winked out.

Fire. That's all I can describe everything as now. It's all I can see, feel, and hear. A giant fire, roaring around me. Then the fire from my vision fades away. I can still feel and hear it, but I can see that I'm back in the room, standing over the Planetary Gear with Paradox standing in front of me.

The burning sensation gathers to my back, and the roaring in my ears dies down. Then my right hand hurts a little, and I watch as a crimson mark burns its way onto my skin. It's a small spiral, jagged at both ends, with three short slashes outside of it, much like on Jack's Signer Mark.

A smile creeps up on my face as I realize what this means. My powers as the Envoy of the Crimson Dragon have fully activated. Sure, I've used them before (conscious or not), but I haven't been able to use many of the cards. Pulling _Crimson Star Prophecy_ in the Duel with Dusk was honestly a fluke.

"The… Crimson Dragon…" Paradox stutters. Then he shakes his head, laughing. "It's too late for it to do much of anything! You're barely holding on in this Duel, while I have a decent amount of Life Points _and_ two monsters that won't go down very easily!"

"Just because it isn't easy doesn't mean it's impossible!" I retort, full of energy once again. "End your turn already, because I'm ready to turn this Duel around!"

Paradox smiles, places a card face-down, and ends his turn.

"Time to turn things around! It's my turn!" I draw my card. "I activate the Spell _Pot of Greed_! Now I can draw two cards…" My new cards are definitely going to bring down his monsters. "I Summon the Tuner _Crimson Star-Envoy of the Light_!"

**Crimson Star-Envoy of the Light ATK: 1800, DEF: 200, Level 4**

A knight in red armor that shines so bright I can barely see him appears on my field.

"When _Envoy of the Light_ is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon a 'Crimson Star' monster from my Deck…" I haven't seen all of the dragons, so I'd better stick with one that will both help bring another monster out from the Graveyard and also, well, one that I remember from the diner. "I choose _Crimson Star-Envoy of the Ancient Fairy_!" I shout.

**Crimson Star-Envoy of the Ancient Fairy ATK: 2100, DEF: 3000, Level 7**

A replica of _Ancient Fairy Dragon_ appears on my field, only this one has red lines trailing across her body and making the separate parts of her wings more visible.

"_Crimson Star-Envoy of the Ancient Fairy_ grants me 1000 Life Points when I Summon her," I add, grinning as I feel another surge of energy fill me.

**Sky's Life Points: 1100**

'_Now for the real deal… but… should I risk Summoning _Crimson Fairy Dragon_ in Attack Mode? What if… what if he has a card stronger than her?' _I mull things over for a moment. _'Yeah, best play it defensively. I can always use her effect, bring back _Chaos_, and use _Chaos_ to pull off a victory.'_ "_Crimson Star-Envoy of the Light_ has the ability to grant a monster on the field an extra Level once a turn, so I'll give _Envoy of the Ancient Fairy_ a little bit of a boost!"

**Crimson Star-Envoy of the Ancient Fairy Level 7 to 8**

"Now I Tune the Level 4 _Crimson Star-Envoy of the Light_ with the now Level 8 _Crimson Star-Envoy of the Ancient Fairy_!" Four rings, eight stars. "_Clustering lights shine throughout the dimension of eternity! Become the path its light shines upon! Synchro Summon! A most regal descent, Crimson Fairy Dragon_!" I chant.

**Crimson Fairy Dragon ATK: 4000, DEF: 5000, Level 12**

The column of light vanishes and a serpentine dragon with a dark purple body, light butterfly wings, and a red mane appears in its place. The dragon has red armor on her torso, and the Mark of the Front Claw is etched into the right side. _Crimson Fairy Dragon_ flaps her wings, causing lights to spiral around us—lights that make _Malefic Truth Dragon_ and _Malefic Rainbow Dragon_ flinch away from them.

"How did you know…?"

"That your monsters are DARK-Attributed?" I fill in. "I didn't, actually, it was just a hunch. But, since they are, _Crimson Fairy Dragon_ destroys the both of them!"

The lights slam into the two dragons, causing them to explode in a horrendous fashion.

I heave a sigh of relief; he didn't stop her effect, and now his Life Points are wide open, so all I need to do is… huh?

A dark purple aura has surrounded Paradox, who has his arms at his sides and fists clenched tightly. "You… you think this is over… but it isn't! I won't let it be!"

Suddenly, winds start whipping around us. Powerful ones, but they can't possibly be… a psychic creation… "What are you doing?" I demand.

"When two or more DARK-Attributed monsters on my field are destroyed in the same turn, I can Special Summon this card from my hand!" Paradox shouts.

A purple sphere appears on his field, and it slowly contracts until it turns into the outline of some sort of creature. The purple coloring abruptly turns to black, and I gasp as I recognize the monster—a shadow-like creature with a red ring around his neck, a white wisp extending from his head, and a light-blue eye visible under the white wisp.

**Darkrai the New Moon ATK: 4000, DEF: 0, Level 10**

"How… how did… that's…" I stop talking and gather my thoughts. Without looking away from Paradox's new monster, I ask with an angry tone in my voice, "How did you get that card? It belongs to Escolar!"

"You want to know, don't you?" Paradox replies. "Fine then. _Darkrai_, show her the truth!"

I barely have time to cover my face before the shadow launches himself at me. When he collides with my arms, my vision instantly turns black.

But not for long.

I can't move, but I can see what's going on around me. I see my future self looking through a closet that has a few cans of soup left, and a box of old crackers. She sighs, _"If only our food grew faster. We'll be lucky if we make it to next month without starving."_

Someone else comes into my vision—it's Bruno. Or Antinomy. Or whatever the heck his name is supposed to be. _"Something wrong, Sky?"_

"_Yeah, we're almost out of food. Again. And I think we've gotten every last crumb of unspoiled food here in Neo Domino,"_ she replies. _"I don't want to leave, and yet it might be our only choice if we don't want to starve."_

Bruno nods, contemplating something. _"You have a point… but why not just look in some of the nearby cities for more food? Your Duel Runner still works, as do the few boats on the shore. It's not like other cities don't have food left in them, and who knows? If we go around to them, we might find more survivors!"_

"_More like more mouths to feed…"_ Sky mumbles in return. _"Still, if it means that we can still live here, then I guess it'll do. One of us can stay here and watch the kids, and the other can look for food."_

The blue-haired man smiles warmly. _"Perfect!"_

Some sort of force jerks me away from that scene, and plops me in another one. I don't know where it's taking place—I don't recognize the ruins of this city—but I can see my future self shifting through a half-destroyed grocery store. She has quite a few cans in a bag at her side, and she's fully absorbed in adding more.

"_Who the hell are you, and why are you taking my food?"_ a male voice booms in the store.

Sky instantly jerks into attention, her eyes darting around the store. They land on the owner of the voice, a man dressed entirely in black, with a mask whose right half is black with white lines, and left half is white with black lines. She starts to back up as she notices the gun in the man's hand, assuming it's loaded. _"I-I didn't know it-it was yours,"_ she stutters. _"P-Please, I'm only trying to he-help my family…"_

The man freezes and drops the gun. _"Sky?"_ he asks.

She flinches. _"How did you know?"_

"_It's kind of hard to forget the woman your brother is engaged to,"_ he replies, taking off his mask. _"Sorry for, uh, threatening you. How's Shoshan, by the way?"_

I gasp. The green eyes, the blonde hair. The masked man is Escolar… and yet… he sounds like Paradox…

Future-Sky also gasps and instantly looks away, closing her eyes. _"Escolar… I'm sorry, but_… Shoshan died in_… in the first earthquake. In the power surge.__"_

Once again, the sensation of being yanked away from something fills my entire body, and the falling sensation replaces it. I'm in another scene now, one where future-Sky and Escolar are in a room. Sky is refusing to meet his eyes, and Escolar seems angry about this.

"_What did I do to you?"_ he shouts.

"_It… it's not you…"_ Sky says weakly.

"_It's because I look like _him_, isn't it? You can't help but look at me and see Shoshan?!"_

The gold-and-silver-haired woman sobs a little. _"Yes…"_

"_But I'm not my brother!"_

"_I know—"_

"_It's not fair!"_ Escolar interrupts. _"I-I'm not the one who did anything to deserve your resentment! It's your own fault! _You're_ the one who took Shoshan from both of us!"_

"_That's not true!"_ Sky snarls. _"I tried to save his life!"_

"_If he hadn't been in that house, you wouldn't have _needed_ to save his life! He would be fine!"_

"_You don't know that!"_ Sky hisses. _"I don't know what _you_ did when the Meklords attacked, but those things took away two of my best friends—more if you count the ones I never heard from after the first quake! Sure, Shoshan could have survived the earthquake, but the Meklords could've killed him all the same!"_

"_Well, you don't know _that_! He could have survived the Meklords too!"_

The door swings open, and the two adults instantly shut up as the young Aurelia hobbles into the room. She looks at them curiously. _"Meema, why you cwying? You got booboo?"_

Sky puts a hand to her face and wipes away the tears. She smiles at her daughter. _"No, I don't have a booboo. Everything's fine, Aurelia. What did you need?"_

The little girl smiles, the fact that her mother was crying forgotten. _"Unca Bwuno 'ound some 'un!"_

"_Really? That's great news!"_ Sky starts to walk out of the door. She stops and faces Escolar. _"Escolar… I'm…"_

"_No need,"_ he says.

The woman frowns, but continues to follow her daughter away. Escolar stays in the room, curling one hand into a fist and punching the wall. His hand goes clean through it, and when he pulls it back, his fingers are sore and slightly scratched. _"Stupid, stupid, stupid…"_ he mutters.

Once again there is that tugging, into another scene. Escolar is standing in front of a mirror—except he looks like Paradox now! The only difference now is the length of Escolar's hair; it's still short and spiky. But his bangs are now purple and his eyes now golden. A bottle of hair dye and a container of colored contacts sits on the counter, next to his hand.

"_Hmph! Now we'll see if she recognizes me!"_ he says with anger.

The man lets go of the counter and walks out of the bathroom. He finds Sky in a nearby room, telling Aurelia a bedtime story. _"…She needed only to play the flute and the specter would appear again,"_ Sky finishes.

"_Fun stowy,"_ Aurelia mumbles. _"'Night Meema…"_

"_Goodnight Aurelia,"_ Sky replies, kissing the young girl's forehead.

Then she stands up and turns, only to find Escolar with his new appearance standing at the door. For a moment, she tenses up, ready to fight, but then she realizes who it is. _"Escolar? What have you done to yourself?"_

"_I decided a new look was in order, I mean it's the reason you wouldn't look at me without flinching away,"_ he replies. _"And… don't call me that anymore. From now on… I'd like to be called Paradox."_

The darkness returns for a moment, until I'm back on the Ark Cradle, standing with shaky legs. I look at Paradox, no, Escolar. I can't believe that he… no I _can_ believe that Escolar would do something like that. Which makes it even harder to believe, somehow.

Paradox glares at me, "Don't think that because you know the truth now means that I'm letting you off easily! In fact, the exact opposite is true! When Summoned by this effect, _Darkrai the New Moon's_ ATK doubles, and the turn is instantly ended!"

**Darkrai the New Moon ATK: 4000 to 8000**

"What?" I shout, managing to find my voice. With that effect, he can easily tear through my defenses and… and… all he needs to do is Summon a monster, which is what he'll be able to do thanks to _Malefic World_. I _can't_ lose… and yet… will I?

**To be continued…**

Me: So, that's the chapter. Did you like Paradox's backstory?

Sky: Well, considering it's either yours or the nonexistent one from the movie, I'd say it was… good. I wasn't expecting the Escolar twist though.

Shade: Even though we'd already made your future self evil? For shame, Sky!

Sky: *Glares at Shade* Well how was I supposed to guess that? You didn't leave any hints whatsoever!

Lucy: Really? I thought I put something in. Oh well, all's well that ends well, right?

Sky: …The ending of this chapter wasn't 'well'. It was evil, and _that_ much was to be expected.

Lucy: Thanks! That was my *receives glare from Shade* okay, our goal. *Returns the glare* At least I can claim that Z-ONE's backstory is one hundred percent mine! In your face, Shade!

Me: Lucy! Please don't antagonize him!

Shade: It's fine, it's fine. *Walks away*

Me: …Okay, now I'm worried…

Sky: Same here.

Lucy: *Shrugs* Meh. Wimps.

Me: *Rolls eyes* Anywho, it's time to ask for reviews! It's always nice to hear comments about my stories, especially if you see anything wrong with my writing! Thanks to those who have reviewed in the past! Oh, and kudos to those who noticed the two Professor Layton references, even if one of them is a really, really tiny one.


	58. Chapter 58: Bound Hope

Me: Hey, look! Blue Sky is back again!

Sky: That's great…

Me: Well, you get to see how the Duel turns out!

Lucy: And we get to begin the climax, too!

Me: Not quite, Lucy, but close to it.

Sky: Should I be worried…? Actually, you don't need to answer that. I've learned that if I need to ask it, I should be worried.

Lucy: Good, because you should be. *Evil grin*

Me: …Well, before I start the chapter, I have to warn you guys about Z-ONE's cards. First, I will be using 'Temporal Machine God', not 'Timelord'.

Sky: *Gasps* But why? You've used the dubbed versions of everything else!

Me: It's, well… *Rubs back of head* It's because that's the version of the archetype I saw first and, as such, became more comfortable with. See, when I first started watching 5Ds, I only wanted to watch the sub if necessary. At the time, all the episodes up to the end of the Dark Signer arc were in English. When I caught up, I decided to watch the subbed episodes that hadn't been released yet. When it comes to writing fanfiction, whatever version of the name I see first is the one I am most comfortable with—so technically, I should use Lucciano and Placido and Jose, not Lester, Primo, and Jakob—but for consistency reasons, I use their dub names.

Sky: So why are you using the Japanese name for the archetype?

Me: Meh, I just don't like the name. Plus, well… I think the people who made the English name for the archetype ripped off Doctor Who.

Sky: Oh. That makes sense.

Me: *Nods* Well, that's the first thing. The second thing about them is that I'm changing the faces that show up on the mirror thingys.

Shade: That would be my idea.

Me: …Anyways, yeah. The faces are different, and they'll hint towards Z-ONE's backstory. So, with the two warnings out of the way, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds, but I do own my OCs! I hope you enjoy chapter 58!

**Chapter 58**

"I activate the effect of _Malefic World_ and add _Malefic Red-Eyes Black Dragon_ to my hand!" Paradox shouts. "And you know what? I think I'll start by removing _Red-Eyes Black Dragon_ from my Deck to Special Summon it!"

**Malefic Red-Eyes Black Dragon ATK: 2400, DEF: 2000, Level 7**

That's it. The classic dragon with a slight armor upgrade spells my loss. All Paradox has to do now is have _Darkrai_ destroy _Crimson Fairy Dragon_, and then have this creature attack me directly. If only I had time to use her second ability—the one that lets me gain Life Points equal to the ATK of a monster in my Graveyard if there's a Field Spell on the field. If only _Darkrai the New Moon's_ ability hadn't forced the end of my turn.

"_Darkrai the New Moon_! Attack _Crimson Fairy Dragon_ with _Dark Void_!" Paradox yells, pointing at my dragon.

I stand there without moving. I can't do anything to stop the sphere of dark energy that the shadow-creature blasts at _Crimson Fairy Dragon_. It hits her, expanding upon impact, and swallows the dragon whole. To my surprise, a sleeping form of _Crimson Fairy Dragon_ appears on Paradox's field… yet, even though it looks like she's asleep, she's ready to attack.

"Surprised?" The blonde-and-purple-haired man's lips curl into a smirk. "When _Darkrai the New Moon_ destroys a monster in battle, I can Special Summon it to my side of the field until the End Phase, in which case control returns to its original owner. But I have no notion to let that happen, and I'll show you what it feels like to be betrayed! _Crimson Fairy Dragon_, attack your former master directly!"

Once again, I can't move. I just watch the crimson-and-violet dragon spread her wings and launch a beam of white energy from her mouth. I close my eyes and look away. _'Sorry Yusei, sorry Luna, sorry all of you guys. Looks like I won't be able to make it through this one,'_ I think.

Through my shut eyes, I see everything turn white, and yet… nothing hurts. The brightness dies down, and I slowly open my eyes. I blink a few times to make sure I'm seeing things right. When nothing changes, I assume that what I'm seeing is the truth.

_Darkrai_ is still launching his attack on _Crimson Fairy Dragon_. It hits and does the same thing, and my dragon appears on his field. Paradox's expression portrays extreme confusion and anger at the same time.

But the fact that time seems to have glitched a little isn't what surprises me the most. It's the fact that _Dusk_, albeit half-broken and letting off sparks, is standing in front of me.

"You…! You traitor!" Paradox yells. "Why did you do that?"

"I'm no traitor!" Dusk returns. "We never should have listened to Z-ONE! We've got everything wrong, there _is_ hope in changing the future without destroying Neo Domino City!"

For a moment, Paradox is stunned into silence. Then he asks, "What did Z-ONE do? He's only ever helped us—if he hadn't been there, then… the disease… it would have shut away any hope of changing the future!"

"You want to know what he did?" Dusk says bitterly. "He killed Hana and Aurelia, _that's_ what he did!"

"What?" Paradox's eyes widen, and he inhales sharply.

"They questioned the plan," Dusk replies. "I have you and your brother to thank for that, by the way," she adds, looking at me while she says that. "They didn't know that they might never exist if we changed the past like this, and they rebelled…" Dusk shakes her head. "I watched as they tried to Duel him, but those stupid Temporal Machine Gods of his… they never had a chance…"

"He… killed them, though?"

"Destroyed their robot forms without returning their memories to their human bodies," she says sadly. "Now, their bodies in the capsules really are just shells, and that's how it will stay."

I just watch those two talk, because I have no idea what to say. I don't have any sort of attachment to the two girls, but the fact that they weren't even given a fair chance… I can only imagine what Dusk feels like right now. Paradox doesn't seem to be taking the news any better, because his angry expression turns to sorrow—something I hadn't realized they could really feel.

Paradox closes his eyes and grits his teeth. "He really… did that…"

"And he tried to do the same to me," Dusk adds. "That's why I'm like this, half-destroyed. Luckily, I know Ark Cradle better than Z-ONE, and I managed to duck through a hallway he didn't know about."

'_I never claimed Antinomy was my friend. At best, you could say that Dusk was. But not Antinomy, not him or any of the others.'_ Z-ONE's words from earlier echo in my head. "Why would he try to hurt _you_?" I ask.

"He said that I had 'outlived my purpose'," Dusk replies. Then she shakes her head. "'Purpose'. Like he has any right to say what my _purpose_ is."

Silence falls in the room, to where the only things I can hear are my own breathing, Dusk's mechanical body letting off sparks, and the Planetary Gear, slowly making its rounds.

"…I'm sorry," Paradox says. "I've got everything wrong… I-I… I end my turn, and per _Darkrai the New Moon's_ ability, _Crimson Fairy Dragon_ returns to your field…"

The crimson-and-purple fairy-like dragon snaps her eyes open, realizes where she is, and quickly flies back to my side of the field, letting off a roar.

'_Is he basically giving up?'_ I think. _'Yes, that must be it…'_ I nod, smiling. "It's my turn!" I announce, drawing my card but not looking at it. I don't need it anyways; if Paradox has given up on winning, then all I need to do is… "_Crimson Fairy Dragon_, attack _Malefic Red-Eyes Black Dragon_ and end this Duel!"

A bright light fills the field, and I shield my eyes.

**Paradox's Life Points: 0. Winner: Sky Fudo**

When I look back, Paradox is gone, and the Planetary Gear is no longer moving, but Dusk is still here—and on the ground, seemingly unable to move. Now I can pay attention to the full extent of the damage—the left half of her face is twisted and seared together, her 'ribcage' is flattened, and her right arm is missing a good section of 'flesh' and 'muscle', showing only the 'bone'.

She opens her good eye, and the gold locks with mine. "Heh, looks like… the future is all up to… you."

"Dusk…" I trail off. "You know, I think I have quite a bit to live up to. I mean, you're so much stronger than I am… and, and… Aurelia…"

My future self snorts. "Stronger? You're the one… who isn't helpless… right now."

"But you've lived through so much!" I say. "You've lived through two timelines and the apocalypse, and you have _yet_ to give up!"

A smile crosses her face. "Yes… I guess you're right…" She closes her eye. "Which means… I can't let this… keep me down!" Opening her eye, she forces herself off the ground, until she makes it to a standing position.

"What are you going to do now?" I ask.

"To the room with the capsules," she replies. "Even… even with my determination, this body is nearing its end. The machine that fixes… us… was created by Z-ONE, and he never told me the password. But… the one that transfers memories was partially created by me, and I know how to use it. I… might as well return my memories… even if what we've done will be erased once you all either succeed or fail."

"Oh." I look away. "Do you need help?"

"No, no, you should go to the main Reactor," Dusk says. "One of the Gears still has to be stopped, but you'll be able to find most of your friends there… the fight for the last Gear is still in progress."

I put a hand to the mark on the back of my hand, which glows a soft red. "Yusei…" I whisper, knowing that he's the one who is still Dueling. "Good luck."

"Here, I know a shortcut to the main Reactor, just let me open it…! Whoops!" Dusk stumbles, and lands on her face with a thud. "Ah, stupid circuits…! This is exactly why I can't wait to be human again…"

"Dusk, you don't seem well enough to make it back to the capsule room by yourself," I note.

"Gah, I'll be fine! I don't need help," she retorts, returning to her feet, only to fall again.

"Yusei is still Dueling, which means I have time to get you there and then get to the main Reactor," I say. "Whether you like it or not, I'm helping you. Besides, after what you did to stop Paradox, I owe you."

My future self scowls. "Fine! You win… I'll let you help."

**XXX**

Dusk shows me the quickest way back to the capsule room; surprisingly, the trip only takes a minute. I park my Duel Runner, and she makes her way to the capsule where the _real_ future me is sleeping. I follow her, and at one point stop her from falling again.

For a moment, Dusk just stands, leaning on me, staring at the unconscious Sky. She chuckles a little, "Three Sky Fudos in one place at the same time. Who could have guessed that this would happen?"

"Not me," I say, laughing with her.

"Oh, but soon it will only be two…" Her eyes darken. "Please, stand back. If you're too close while I do this, my memories might end up in you, yours might end up in her," she points at the unconscious Sky, "or worse, our memories just get scrambled together."

I scoot several feet away from the other two versions of me. "Is this far enough?" I ask.

"Perfect," Dusk replies. She stares at a panel on the side of the capsule. "Thank you… Sky. You gave me hope again, and you helped me see what was wrong with our plan before it was too late…"

"Wait, helped _you_ see what was wrong?" I ask. "I thought… I thought Hana and Aurelia were the first to see it…"

"They weren't, I was," Dusk says after a short pause. "I lied. It was _I_ who tried to stop Z-ONE, and when I lost, he was… going to destroy me. Not that there was much left _to_ destroy; I've been this destroyed since I lost to you. Hana and Aurelia… wouldn't let that happen." I think I see a tear slide down her unmangled cheek. "He showed them no mercy."

"I'm sorry," I say.

"Don't be," she replies. "At least now… at least now they can look forward to… a new future…" Dusk looks straight at me. "Promise me that you won't let Z-ONE go through with the plan," she says.

"You need me to promise that?" I exclaim. "I will _never_ let _anyone_ destroy this City, just for the sake of… of… getting home."

"Ah. He told you about that." Dusk looks back at the panel. "Be careful, Sky. I know what he has gone through… and trust me, he doesn't care about anything. Anything at all, other than getting back to his dimension."

"He's from a… different dimension?"

"Yes," Dusk says. "I can't explain how… that's for Z-ONE to tell. As well as what happened to him." Suddenly a large shockwave runs through her, and she grunts in pain and falls.

My eyes widen, and I start to go to her side.

"No!" Dusk shouts. "It… it's fine! Just… stay away!"

I freeze and watch as she reaches up blindly, grabs the side of the capsule, and pulls herself to her knees, where her shoulders and head are over the panel. Dusk places a hand square in the center of the panel. Wires come out of the panel, attaching themselves to Dusk's hand. She looks at me one last time, and smiles. "You _do_ have a lot to live up to," she says. "Goodbye, Sky. Live a better life than I have."

The life cuts out from Dusk's golden eye, and the wires retract from her hand. The lifeless robot falls to the ground, not even sparks coming out of her… it. I can't believe it happened that fast… I swallow, and my body regains the ability to move. I walk over to the capsule where my future self lies.

It's clear that something has changed. Instead of being deathly pale, her cheeks have a much more normal coloring, and her breaths seem to have more importance.

"Yes, I have gigantic shoes to fill," I say to my unconscious counterpart.

I notice that there isn't any glass covering Sky, so I reach out a hand. I don't know _what_ my goal for it is, but my hand touches her cheek, which is warm.

I feel something shift inside of me, and suddenly, future Sky's eyes fly open, and she jerks up into a sitting position. "What? Where…?" Her eyes land on me, and she gasps. "No way…"

I blink. "Did… did I just wake you up?"

"Oh my gosh, I think you did!" she exclaims. Then she puts her hands to her face. "B-Bone… not metal…" A grin rises on her face, and she laughs. "I'm… I'm human again! Oh, thank you Sky!"

"You're… welcome, I think," I say.

"Well, if you hadn't done what you did, I'd basically be dead," Dusk replies. A look of surprise crosses her face. "You… you don't think… Could you possibly… wake up my brother?"

"I don't know, maybe," I reply. Honestly, I have no idea what I did to wake _her_ up, but I might as well try, right? Without saying anything else, I walk over to Yusei's capsule. I stare at it for a few moments. Can I do it again? Can I bring another person back from an endless slumber?

I close my eyes while I slowly reach my hand to the future Yusei. It feels like an eternity before my hand touches flesh. Once it does, though, I feel the shift inside of me again. My eyes snap open, and I see that whatever I did worked. The future Yusei is alive, awake, and looking at me.

"Sky? What's going on? Why do you look so young?" He stops, and more confusion crosses his face. "Wait, why are there two of you?"

"Yusei!" Dusk shouts from behind me. "Oh, you're alive!"

I find myself pushed out of the way so that Dusk can throw her arms around Yusei and squeeze him tight. Confusion remains on his face, but Yusei slowly returns the hug, blinking several times.

Dusk's shoulders shift a few times, and I notice that she's crying. "Yusei… oh Yusei…" she mutters. "It… it's been… so long…"

I offer the still-confused future version of my brother a small smile. "Time travel," I say. "That's why there are two of us."

"O-Oh."

I turn away from them, shrugging. I have no time to waste now. Ark Cradle is still descending, and Z-ONE needs to be stopped. Besides, it's _Dusk's_ reunion, not mine. With purpose, I jog to my parked Duel Runner and get on it. I sit for a second, staring at the two Fudos from the future. A smile crosses my face, and I press the ignition to my Runner. The engine roars to life, and I speed away from the room.

**XXX**

Now that I can sense where the others are, I don't wander pointlessly through the halls of this place. I make it to a door that leads outside, and I can feel that's where they are. I get off my Duel Runner and push it along as I walk outside.

'_Is this some sort of dump?'_ I think. Piles of broken, twisted metal and rock surround me. _'Yes, that's probably what it is…'_

A shout comes from nearby, and I move faster, up one of the piles of debris. From the top of it, I can see where my friends—and Sherry?!—are: atop another of the debris pile. They're watching a Duel take place, between Z-ONE, who is in this odd machine that controls giant mechanical arms and… seems to be using similar-sized Duel Monster cards, and some man I don't recognise. He's much larger than anyone else I've ever met—and by that I mean taller and with a lot wider shoulders—has spiky white hair with two streaks of red on each side, separate from the red, and white clothing. Two blue gem things are on each shoulder, one of them cracked.

The unfamiliar man has nothing on his side of the field, but Z-ONE has a huge monster on his field—larger than _Meklord Astro Dragon Misery_. Its body looks like a blueish staff, with four pieces extending from it (two from each side) at the top. On the top of the blueish piece is a T-shaped mirror, outlined in gold, with a face on it. The face is male, and has pale blue eyes and blonde hair. Strangely enough, the face bears a strong resemblance to Roman… but I'm sure that's just a coincidence. The last notable part of the monster is its arms—dark-magenta armor lined with gold, and not attached to the bluish staff.

I leave my Duel Runner where it is—do I really need it right now?—and hurry over to where Yusei and the others are. "What have I missed?"

All of their heads snap to my direction, and upon seeing me, they smile.

Leo's is the widest of them all, "Look! I'm a Signer too!" He shows me his right arm, which does, in fact, have a Signer Mark on it. The Heart of the Dragon, if I remember correctly.

"Well, so am I," I say, showing off my mark.

"Sweet!" Leo exclaims.

"Sky! You're alright!" Yusei says.

"Of course I am," I reply. "Do you think I would let anyone who wants to do this win?"

"True," he replies. "Now to answer your question. We all made it here after the four Planetary Gears stopped, and I was going to put a stop to Z-ONE's plan. Aporia showed up, surprising all of us, and started Dueling him instead, claiming that we gave him hope." Yusei looks at Z-ONE's monster. "He had the perfect plan—get all of the cards out of his Deck, and then use this spell _Afterglow_, but Z-ONE's monster…"

"What _is_ that monster, anyways?" I ask.

"_Temporal Machine God Razion_," he replies disdainfully. "It and the other one—_Metaion_—can't be destroyed, and he takes no Battle Damage when they battle. They all have effects after they battle as well. _Metaion's_ was to return all other monsters on the field to the owner's hand and inflict 300 damage for each, and _Razion's_… shuffled all the cards in Aporia's Graveyard back into his Deck, and now, when he draws, he'll take 1000 damage and lose."

"Dang," I say. "And, what's _Afterglow's_ effect?"

"If Aporia draws it, Z-ONE takes 4000 damage and _he_ loses," Akiza replies. "But now, with thirty-four cards in his Deck instead of one…"

"I end my turn, Aporia," Z-ONE says. Then he laughs a little, "You have a one-in-thirty-four chance of drawing the card to defeat me. Do you still believe in your so-called 'hope'? Will you be able to create a miracle?"

"Now that I've found it again, I will never give up on hope!" the white-clad robot replies. "I _will_ create a miracle, right here and right now! It's my turn, I draw!"

Time seems to stand still as Aporia draws his card. He holds it for a moment, not looking at it, before flipping it over. Shock and disdain fill his face at the same time.

"It seems you have failed to perform a miracle," Z-ONE says. "Now you see why it is pointless to rely on such a fragile thing called hope."

Aporia says nothing.

"_Temporal Machine God Razion's_ ability activates! Because you have drawn a card, you take 1000 damage!" Z-ONE shouts.

His monster with dark-magenta armor brings both of its arms together. A ball of fire appears between the hands, and it shoots out a column of fire, right at Aporia. It hits him, and all I can hear is the sound of things crashing together.

**Aporia's Life Points: 0. Winner: Z-ONE**

When the smoke dies down, I can see the aftermath of the attack. Aporia's form is now more broken than before, and smoking. He is lying on the ground, not moving.

"No!" Leo shouts, scrambling down the rubble-pile to get to the fallen android's side. The rest of us follow after him.

Aporia's eyes are open, and he looks between all of us. "I'm… sorry," he says. "I wasn't able to defeat Z-ONE… I couldn't… We couldn't live up to the hope you gave us."

For a moment, I'm confused by the sudden shift in referring to himself as more than one person, but then I remember the truth. Aporia is a combination of Lester, Primo, and Jakob (though I have no idea how that happened). Aporia as a single being doesn't exist. He's all three of them as one.

Yusei shakes his head. "That's not true," he says, "in trying to defeat Z-ONE, you've given _us_ hope."

"But… how?" Aporia asks.

"We know what two of his Temporal Machine Gods can do now," Yusei replies. "That's the hope you've given us. And as long as we have hope, we will _always_ fight."

"Then… we're glad we've… given hope to the future…" Aporia says. He slowly sits up, and takes the golden half-ring that had been functioning as his Duel Disk off his back. He looks at the ring for a moment, and throws it at Yusei's Duel Runner.

Shockingly, the ring doesn't bounce off of the Runner—it sinks _into_ it. The _Yusei-Go_ gains a bright red aura for a moment, and two glowing wings appear from its sides. Just as soon as they appeared, though, the wings and the light disappear.

I look back at Aporia, who is back to lying on the ground. His eyes are shut, one hand next to him and the other on his chest. My heart falls when I realize that I could have helped him—I could have somehow gotten him to the capsule room and… and… done the same thing I did with Dusk.

Someone starts sobbing next to me, and I realize it's Leo. Fresh tears are streaming down his face, and his fists are clenched. He whips around, still crying, and faces Z-ONE. "Why did you do this? Why would you kill your own friend?!" he shouts.

"Because Aporia wasn't his friend," I say.

"How would you know that?" Leo asks.

"Before I went to stop the Planetary Gear, I… I spoke to Z-ONE. One of the things he said to me was… was that none of the others from the future were his friends."

"What? Really?"

"He never said why, though," I add, looking at Z-ONE.

"Can a fish out of water do much more than flop around, trying to find its way to safety?" Z-ONE poses. "The fish does not have time to do much else, unless it wishes to die."

"What does this have anything to do with you?" Yusei asks, beating me to the question.

"That is because I am like that fish, and this world is the land I need to escape from," Z-ONE replies. "Soon, now, the Ark Cradle will collide with Neo Domino City, giving me that necessary flop to return to the water, so to speak."

"I… don't… understand," Yusei says. "Where are you from?"

"The place you know as Neo Domino, only from a different dimension."

"How did you get here?" Yusei asks.

"I will not tell you that yet."

"Fine," my brother says. "Then the only thing we have left to do is settle this! I will stop Ark Cradle's descent and save my City!"

A creaking noise above us draws our attention to the sky. Only now do I realize that it was actually a dark-blue dome, and not the sky. It was shielding the truth from us—the truth that we are above Neo Domino, looking down upon it.

'_This place must have its own gravity source,'_ I think. _'Otherwise, we'd be pulled down to earth…'_

"We will do this now, Yusei Fudo," Z-ONE says. "In front of the precious millions of refugees you are trying to save."

"You can do it Yusei," Akiza says, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I just know that you can."

"Yusei!" Jack says forcefully. _Red Dragon Archfiend_ is in his hand, and he's extending it to my brother. "I'm entrusting you with my soul; you better not lose."

Slowly, the other four—ah, five—Signers give Yusei their dragons, with Leo handing over two cards instead of one. My hand goes to my Extra Deck. Should I give Yusei the 'Crimson' versions of the Signer Dragons? They might be able to help turn things around, right? I pull the six cards out of the holder and step closer to my brother. "I… I…" My voice cuts out. I want to say some sort of encouraging statement, but they words just won't come.

And then, seemingly of its own accord, the hand that doesn't hold the 'Crimson' Synchros snatches the Signer Dragons from Yusei's hand. It doesn't stop there; my legs carry me as fast as they possibly can to Yusei's parked Duel Runner, and the rest of my body helps me get on it. Then I start the Runner and speed away.

Only now do I realize what I've done, and I'm actually proud of it. The future Z-ONE showed me—the one of Yusei falling to his death—it won't happen now. And, and now I can also fulfill my promise to Dusk.

'_No going back now,'_ I think. "Porta-me'n! _Stardust Dragon_!" I say. When I feel the card materialize in my hand, I know the spell worked.

"Sky! What are you doing?!" Yusei shouts.

"I won't let your death happen like I saw it!" I shout. "Z-ONE! You'll be facing me in the final Duel!"

**To be continued…**

Me: …So yeah, this is where I'm ending it.

Sky: *Jaw drop*

Me: Was this _really_ that surprising?

Sky: I, uh… I was expecting it to be a two-on-one Duel or something. Not me stealing the cards and the _Yusei-Go_ and charging into battle.

Me: Anything else?

Sky: I also wasn't expecting you to give me the ability to wake up the people from the future.

Piano: Flabé! Bébé! *Yay, my first idea was surprising!*

Me: *Pats Piano's head* Ah yes, it was good.

Lucy: Yeah, yeah, it was good! Just finish so that I can get to work on writing down Z-ONE's backstory!

Me: Be patient, Lucy. *Sigh* Well, as I don't really have much else to say… Please leave a review! It only takes a minute to tell me what you thought; certainly anyone can spare that much time! If you noticed something wrong, please tell me!


	59. Chapter 59: Z-ONE

Me: So… the muses decided that Blue Sky was in too good of a place to move on to another one of my stories (because I like to cycle through what story gets updated). Therefore, here is the next update!

Sky: Oh great…

Lucy: Hehehehehehehehehe…

Sky: That doesn't help at all. In fact, that makes me worry even more.

Me: Well, I can say that she's only laughing because of what's going to happen in the _next_ chapter, not this one.

Lucy: No, because this one sets the stage for my chapter. I'm laughing because of this one.

Meri & Shade: Which is _our_ chapter!

Lucy: I don't care! The next one is _**all**_ mine!

Me: …Okay, before this turns _**really**_ weird… I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds, but I do own my OCs and her cards—other than _Crimson Star Ascension_, which I borrowed from Ulrich362 (who borrowed the archetype from me, but what difference does that make?). I hope you all enjoy this chapter…

**Chapter 59**

"_Z-ONE! You'll be facing me in the final Duel!"_

"It seems that no matter what world or timeline, you will always give up everything for your brother," Z-ONE says, anger laced in his voice. "What if he doesn't _want_ your help? What if he doesn't _want_ you to sacrifice yourself to keep him safe?"

"I…" The questions catches me off guard, and I accidentally stop the Duel Runner. I twist my head and look at Yusei—he still stands next to Aporia's body, along with the others.

Yusei shakes his head. "You're wrong, Z-ONE!" he shouts. "Sure, I'd prefer it if she kept herself safe, but it's ultimately her own choice! Whatever Sky does, she knows the consequences, and I'm perfectly fine with that!"

Z-ONE remains silent for a moment. "Then you have not suffered—not like I have," he eventually says. "I'll show you what I've lived through, in this Duel!"

I've gathered my wits again, so I turn back to face my opponent. I honestly want to know what he's lived through to want to do something like this. Not only that, I want to know who he really is, and why he seems to have such a vendetta against me. Gritting my teeth, I press the acceleration again, steering the _Yusei-Go_ to a piece of rubble that creates a sort-of ramp.

I ride off of it, and the glowing red wings reappear from the Runner. They flap several times, until I'm directly across from Z-ONE. "Alright Z-ONE, whatever you have to say won't stop me from defeating you."

He laughs, "Just wait until you're on the edge of defeat, Sky! Then you'll be eating your own words!"

"Hmph! With that attitude, I think you should go first," I say.

"No, you may have the first turn," Z-ONE replies.

**Z-ONE's Life Points: 4000, Sky's Life Points: 4000**

I glare at him. "Fine, I'll take the first turn! I draw!"

**Z-ONE S.C. 1, Sky S.C. 1**

I look at the cards I have in my hand and quickly realize I'm not using my normal Deck. It's the one with the Crimson Star monsters. Normally, I'd jump for joy over using these cards—I've seen some of their strength from when I was in the diner—but not now. Not when the outcome of this Duel dictates the fates of millions of people. Not when I barely know what I'm going up against. I'd rather have my Celestial cards, because I know all of their ins and outs. I don't know much of anything about the Crimson Star cards.

Still, I can't let the fact that I'm in unfamiliar territory knock me down. I quickly read the effects of the four cards I don't recognize, and smile when I see the effect of one of the monsters. "I Summon _Crimson Star Fairy_ in Defense Mode!"

**Crimson Star Fairy ATK: 0, DEF: 0, Level 2**

A chibi-like red-haired girl in a poofy dress made of fire appears on my field. She has two wings protruding from her shoulders, bright red and wire-like in their appearance.

"Then I set two cards face-down and end my turn," I finish.

"Interesting, a monster with no strength," Z-ONE says. "It's my turn, I draw!" The giant, floating, mechanical arms move to the giant Deck Holder and takes out a card of an equally large card.

**Z-ONE S.C. 2, Sky S.C. 2**

After looking at it, the arm throws it out, only for it to hover in place and turn into a monster. "Because I control no cards, I can Special Summon _Temporal Machine Priestess_!" Z-ONE declares.

**Temporal Machine Priestess ATK: 0, DEF: 0, Level 1**

A metallic creature, whose grey-and-gold body is also shaped like a staff, appears from the previously thrown card. Its widest part, where the waist is supposed to be if the creature was human, has a gold ring with red orbs set in it, gold spikes extending from the orbs. The monster's head isn't much of one—just a metal piece with two glowing green eyes on it.

"_Temporal Machine Priestess_ counts as two Tributes in the Summon of a Fairy-Type monster," Z-ONE continues, "so I release it in order to Summon _Temporal Machine God Camion_!"

**Temporal Machine God Camion ATK: 0, DEF: 0, Level 10**

The new monster's body is shaped like an arrowhead, pointing upwards. An orange sphere is set in the middle of the arrowhead, with gold lines surrounding it. Above the sphere is a mirror with a face on it—a man with light-blue eyes and black hair, styled in such a way that it spikes up and out, and covers his right eye. This monster has thick brown arms attached telekinetically, and curved grey wings behind them.

I study the face on the mirror. It bears a stunning resemblance to my father, but how? Could this also be a coincidence, like the fact that _Razion_ looked like Roman? Or could something else be in play?

"_Temporal Machine God Camion_, attack _Crimson Star Fairy_!" Z-ONE orders, snapping me out of my thoughts about what his monster looks like.

A part of one of the buildings next to us breaks apart, and they are surrounded by an orange aura, as is _Camion_. The creature extends its arm out, and the debris flies at my monster. The fairy throws up her arms, and a thin barrier of red light appears, deflecting the rocks.

'_Now, for _Camion's_ effect,'_ I think. _'I hope I pegged it right…'_

"When _Temporal Machine God Camion_ battles, all monsters my opponent controls are returned to the Deck, and you take 500 damage for each," Z-ONE says.

"Not happening! _Crimson Star Fairy_ can't leave the field by card effects other than her own!" I retort, grinning. I had pegged the effect correctly.

There is a short pause as my opponent considers the rest of his options. "I figured your creature had an effect like that. Very well, I set a card face-down and end my turn."

"Great, my turn!" I shout, drawing my card. I look at it and smile.

**Z-ONE S.C. 3, Sky S.C. 3**

"I Summon _Crimson Star Twins_, and follow through with the _Speed Spell-Crimson Star Ascension_! I can return _Twins_ to my hand and Special Summon a Level 5 or higher 'Crimson Star' monster from my Deck, all for the cost of one Speed Counter!" I exclaim. "I choose… _Crimson Star-Envoy of the Ancient Fairy_!"

**Sky S.C. 2; Crimson Star-Envoy of the Ancient Fairy ATK: 2100, DEF: 3000, Level 7**

Two red stars appear on my field, but just as quickly, they combine and grow larger. The light morphs into the shape of a serpentine dragon with butterfly-like wings, and then it dims, revealing the _Ancient Fairy Dragon_ clone.

"I activate _Envoy of the Ancient Fairy's_ special ability!" I continue. "Once per turn, if there is a Field Spell on the field, I gain 1000 Life Points!"

**Sky's Life Points: 5000**

"Now I activate the Continuous Trap _Dragon Star Exchange_! This lets me exchange the 'Envoy' dragon with the real deal in my Extra Deck!" The lookalike vanishes, and I add, "So come out, _Ancient Fairy Dragon_!"

**Ancient Fairy Dragon ATK: 2100, DEF: 3000, Level 7**

My friend's actual dragon now appears, and she seems eager to put a stop to Z-ONE.

"Finally, I activate _Ancient Fairy Dragon's _ability: by not attacking this turn, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower monster from my hand! I choose… _Crimson Star Fortress_!"

**Crimson Star Fortress ATK: 200, DEF: 2000, Level 4**

A castle made of red stone appears on my field. The castle has several constellations etched in its stone, each constellation glowing a bright crimson.

"That ends my turn," I say.

"If you think that dragon is going to help you, then you're wrong," Z-ONE says. "It's my turn, I draw!" As _Camion_ vanishes, he adds, "In my Standby Phase, my _Temporal Machine Gods_ return to the Deck. A decent price to pay, given their effects."

**Z-ONE S.C. 4, Sky S.C. 3**

"I start by activating the Continuous Trap _Zero Machine Ain_," Z-ONE says, one of the mechanical arms flipping over the giant face-down card. "This lets me Summon a Level 10 or higher monster from my hand without a Tribute, but its ATK is reduced to 0. But seeing as how most of my monsters don't even have Attack Points, then this doesn't hinder me at all! I Summon _Temporal Machine God Michion_!"

**Temporal Machine God Michion ATK: 0, DEF: 0, Level 10**

A golden ring appears on his field, and the mechanical arm throws a card through it. The card glows, and turns into a monster. This one's body is a light-blue staff at the bottom, and a red arrowhead behind the mirror. The creature doesn't have arms, it has golden wings—two giant ones at the top, and four smaller ones at the bottom.

The face in the mirror… I can no longer deny the coincidence. The golden eyes and green pigtails… Luna. I want to ask about that, but… considering how avoiding he's been about answering questions, I doubt I'll get a straight answer. So I grit my teeth and bear with whatever he's planning…

"_Temporal Machine God Michion_, attack _Ancient Fairy Dragon_!" Z-ONE orders, a mechanical hand pointing at the dragon.

"I don't think so! _Crimson Star Fortress_ can negate an attack once per turn!" I counter.

Z-ONE's monster shoots several balls of fire at _Ancient Fairy Dragon_, but the red castle moves in front, blocking the attacks.

"What luck; had the attack gone through, you would have lost half your Life Points," Z-ONE says. "Hmm… I'll set a card face-down and end my turn."

"My turn, I draw!"

**Z-ONE S.C. 5, Sky S.C. 4**

I look at my hand. Still nothing that can get me out of a stalling strategy, but at least I know that Z-ONE's monsters return to the Deck during his Standby Phase. If I can stall long enough, then there _might_ be a time when he doesn't have any way to Summon one, and then… that would be my chance to strike. "I activate the effect of _Ancient Fairy Dragon_, and I Special Summon _Crimson Star Twins_!"

**Crimson Star Twins ATK: 1200, DEF: 1200, Level 3**

Two small, red stars appear on my field.

"_Crimson Star Twins_ counts as two Tributes in the Summon of a 'Crimson Star' monster," I continue, "so I release them to Summon… _Crimson Star-Envoy of the Black Feathers_!"

**Crimson Star-Envoy of the Black Feathers ATK: 2800, DEF: 1600, Level 8**

The two stars disappear, only to be replaced by another serpentine dragon. This one has claws in place of legs, and his wings are segmented into feather-like structures, black with a red highlight. The dragon's tail feathers are bright red as well. All in all, a replica of Crow's _Black-Winged Dragon_.

"Now I use the effect of _Dragon Star Exchange_—"

"Actually, you won't," Z-ONE interrupts. "I activate a Trap from my hand, _The Angel's Judgement_! This negates the Summoning of your dragon and destroys it. Not only that, but you can't Special Summon it from the Graveyard. _And_," he adds, "you take damage equal to its ATK."

The replica of Crow's dragon screeches in pain as a burst of light shoots through his heart, and he shatters. The light continues and strikes me, blasting me almost into one of Ark Cradle's buildings.

**Sky's Life Points: 2200**

'_Dang it, I was going to try something. Looks like I can't now,'_ I think. _'Although… _Envoy of the Black Feathers is_ more useful in the Graveyard… I'd like to see Z-ONE try and use a damaging effect on me now.'_ I look at my hand again. "Mmm… I set a card face-down and end my turn."

"Then it's my turn," Z-ONE says, using the mechanical arms to draw a card. Per its effect, _Michion_ also vanishes.

**Z-ONE S.C. 6, Sky S.C. 5**

"I send _Zero Machine Ain_ to the Graveyard in order to activate the Continuous Trap _Infinite Machine Ain Soph_! It has the same effect as _Zero Machine Ain_, only now there is no limit to how many monsters I Summon per turn," Z-ONE explains.

The golden ring disappears for a moment, only to reappear as two golden rings squished together like an infinity symbol.

'_More than one per turn?! I can barely deal with one, let alone as many as he can… though, he only has two cards in his hand. At least, for the moment, that means the max he can Summon is two,'_ I think.

The mechanical arm that is holding Z-ONE's hand throws both cards at the rings. They pass through them, glowing yellow before turning into monsters.

"I Summon _Temporal Machine God Gabrion_ and _Temporal Machine God Tzaphion_!"

**Temporal Machine God Gabrion ATK: 0, DEF: 0, Level 10; Temporal Machine God Tzaphion ATK: 0, DEF: 0, Level 10**

Both monsters to appear are blue. The first, _Gabrion_, has a skinny, light-blue staff for a body, and darker-blue metal for its arms. Two gold rings crown its head, and greyish wings extend from its back. The mirror it has is shaped like a bird with its wings extended, and the face it shows is a brown-haired woman with gold eyes—my mother.

The second one has a wider staff for a body, but it is the same shade of blue as _Gabrion's_. This one's arms look a lot like blue wisps, yet at the same time solid metal. _Tzaphion's_ mirror looks like the normal oval-shape, but the face it has doesn't look familiar at all. It's a teenaged girl—I'd say fourteen if I had to guess her age—with gold eyes and black hair, a golden stripe down the left side.

"Z-ONE… all of your other monsters have faces that I recognize. Why is _Tzaphion _any different? I don't know who she is," I say.

Z-ONE doesn't say anything for several moments. Then, he carefully replies, "That is because she never existed here. Regardless of the timeline, her mother died before she was born."

"But… her mother didn't die in yours?"

"I never said that," he replies briskly. "But she _did_ live long enough to have her. Natsumi."

"That's her name? Natsumi?"

"…I've answered enough of your questions for right now," my opponent says. "_Gabrion_, attack _Crimson Star Fortress_!"

"Negate the attack, _Fortress_!" I cry.

The skinnier of the two blue monsters throws out its arm, and a wave of water goes to hit the fortress. The wave hits, but the castle remains unscathed.

"Again you save your monsters, for _Gabrion's_ effect would have returned them to the Deck," Z-ONE says. "The same cannot be said for your Spell and Trap cards though… _Temporal Machine God Tzaphion_, attack _Ancient Fairy Dragon_!"

The second monster creates several large bubbles, and they fly over to Luna's dragon. They burst, spewing water everywhere, but the water doesn't harm the blue dragon. Instead, they swamp my two face-downs and _Dragon Star Exchange_, and I watch as the three cards return to my Deck.

"What…?"

"When _Tzaphion_ battles, all of my opponent's Spell and Trap cards are returned to the Deck," he explains. "That ends my turn."

I snarl a little, because my face-downs were extremely useful, and _Dragon Star Exchange_… now I have to individually Synchro Summon all of the monsters. Shoving my annoyance aside, I draw my card without saying anything.

**Z-ONE S.C. 7, Sky S.C. 6**

I quickly try to come up with a different strategy, but I don't have anything in my hand other than a Trap to stall if it comes to Z-ONE somehow getting more than one monster on his field. I sigh, "I end my turn with a face-down."

Z-ONE also starts his turn without a word, but when his two monsters return to his Deck, he seems to gain a… pleased aura. "When _Temporal Machine God Tzaphion_ is removed from the field, I draw five cards." So the mechanical arm takes five more cards out of the Deck holder.

**Z-ONE S.C. 8, Sky S.C. 7**

'_Great, I bet there's at least one of those monsters in his hand now…'_

Oh, _one_ monster was an understatement.

"Through the effect of _Infinite Machine Ain Soph_, I Summon _Temporal Machine God Raphion, Temporal Machine God Metaion, Temporal Machine God Hairon_, and _Temporal Machine God Sandaion_!" Z-ONE shouts, the arms throwing four of the six cards in his hand through the two golden loops.

**Temporal Machine God Razion ATK: 0, DEF: 0, Level 10; Temporal Machine God Raphion ATK: 0, DEF: 0, Level 10; Temporal Machine God Hairon ATK: 0, DEF: 0, Level 10; Temporal Machine God Sandaion ATK: 4000 to 0, DEF: 4000, Level 10**

The monster I'd watched defeat Aporia appears on the field first, and the other three appear one by one.

Leo. The face on _Temporal Machine God Raphion's_ heart-shaped mirror. The monster has a grey staff for a body, with two red orbs at the bottom, and green arms lined with gold.

Akiza. The face on _Temporal Machine God Hairon's_ mirror that's shaped like a hand mirror. Dark-maroon metal makes up this creature's arms—four of them, attached to the shoulders and hanging down like puppet strings. This creature has two wings, much like all the others, only its are black instead of grey.

And finally, Rex Goodwin is the face on _Temporal Machine God Sandaion's_ cross-shaped mirror. This one's body is much wider than the other Temporal Machine Gods' bodies, but is the same color. Its arms are dark yellow-orange, and its shoulders have spikes.

"That does it! Other than the one with Natsumi, I've known the faces of the people in the mirrors! I'm done with you avoiding the questions, so fess up, Z-ONE!" I shout.

"You haven't figured it out yet? These are the faces of the people who died! Died because of _his_ egotistical ambitions!" Z-ONE shouts.

I gasp in shock, and an unsettling feeling comes over me. That means… most of my friends… dead? "Who… Whose ambitions?"

"_Temporal Machine God Hairon_, attack _Ancient Fairy Dragon_!" he shouts, completely ignoring my question.

The monster with Akiza's face moves its arms to where the hands are extended forward. A burst of orange light comes from the center of them, barrelling towards my dragon.

"Hey! I asked a…" I scowl, flipping up one of my face-down cards. "_Negate Attack_!"

A barrier knocks back the attack.

"If you can figure out who I really am, I'll answer all of your questions," Z-ONE says. "But for now, I set a card face-down and end my turn."

'_If I can figure it out…?'_ I think. _'But… the only thing I can see of him is one of his eyes… and combined with what he's said…'_ Instantly I shake my head. _'No! That isn't the answer. He isn't… no, there's just no way.'_ I narrow my eyes at Z-ONE and bitterly say, "It's my turn, I draw!"

**Z-ONE S.C. 9, Sky S.C. 8**

I look at the card I drew. Useless for the moment… maybe later, though. "I Summon _Crimson Star Mage_ in Defense Mode and… I end my turn."

**Crimson Star Mage ATK: 0, DEF: 2000, Level 4**

An old man in red robes appears, holding a wooden staff with both hands. The staff glows red.

"I think you know the truth," Z-ONE says. "I think you've figured out who I am, but you don't want to accept it."

Bile rises in my throat as I yell, "Shut up! You _aren't_ him!"

"Just like Dusk 'wasn't' you?" he replies, heavy sarcasm on the word 'wasn't'. "The thing is, she didn't witness all of the deaths—she might have felt them, but she didn't _see_. I had to watch _all_ of them—except for Rudger's, ah, Roman's. I didn't see his. Still, watching my family and half of my friends die, all because of one man… that was enough to break me."

"That doesn't give you an excuse to do this, and it sure as heck means you _aren't_ him!" I shout.

"Hmm! Suit yourself, but the truth will come out soon enough… It's my turn! I draw!" All four monsters return to his Deck.

**Z-ONE S.C. 10, Sky S.C. 9**

"Through the effect of _Infinite Machine Ain Soph, _I Summon the two I haven't used yet—_Temporal Machine God Metaion_ and _Temporal Machine God Zadion_!" Z-ONE shouts.

**Temporal Machine God Metaion ATK: 0, DEF: 0, Level 10; Temporal Machine God Zadion ATK: 0, DEF: 0, Level 10**

The first of the two is one with red-armored arms, and a light-blue staff for a body, a gold ring wrapped around the bottom of it. Its mirror is shaped like a bull's head, and the face it depicts is Jack—it even has on his signature scowl.

The second one has thick, green arms that are lined with gold, and two light-green, bat-like wings. The mirror at the front is T-shaped and is positioned above two gold points branching out from the staff-body.

I put my hand to my mouth to prevent myself from screaming. The face on _Zadion's _mirror… while both of the woman's eyes are gold, and she doesn't have a Criminal Mark… the face is undeniably my own.

"_Don't you know that selfless acts only bring pain to the ones you try to help?"_

"_What if he doesn't _want_ you to sacrifice yourself to keep him safe?"_

"_These are the faces of the people who died!"_

"_I know what he has gone through… and trust me, he doesn't care about anything."_

"My god…" I breathe. I can barely refuse who I think Z-ONE really is any more. Everything that I've heard so far… it only makes sense if he really _is_ him… but…

"I activate the effect of _Speed World 2_! I remove ten of my Speed Counters to destroy _Crimson Star Fortress_!" Z-ONE shouts.

A bolt of lightning destroys my red castle, and I flinch. That was the only way I was going to get out of any attacks this turn…

"_Temporal Machine God Metaion_, attack _Ancient Fairy Dragon_!"

The monster with Jack's face puts out one hand, and a stream of fire comes from it. The fire hits my dragon, and it spreads across to _Crimson Star Mage_, though _Crimson Star Fairy_ avoids it. The fire then continues, striking me with a wave of force.

**Sky's Life Points: 1600**

Even though I only took 600 damage, the attack sends me and the Duel Runner spinning—which is dangerous in a Turbo Duel, but a flat-out death wish in one like this. I twist, managing to stop the spinning and quickly turn to the side. The sound of metal scratching against concrete resonates in the air, and I ignore the cacophony, instead focusing on how to not fully crash into one of the two buildings I've managed to sandwich myself between. There is barely enough space, and I continue to bounce between the two buildings like a ping-pong ball, scraping them both several times, before I finally get out from between the two and fly back up to Z-ONE's level.

I give him my best glare, because now _Crimson Star Fairy_ is the only monster I have on my field. "When I take effect damage when _Crimson Star-Envoy of the Black Feathers_ is in my Graveyard, you take double the damage I did," I say with annoyance.

A ghost version of _Black-Winged Dragon's_ lookalike appears on my field and roars. A sphere of black-and-red energy appears in front of him, and it flies directly at Z-ONE. The loud CRASH it makes upon impact makes me feel… bizarrely happy.

**Z-ONE's Life Points: 2800**

When the smoke from the collision vanishes, I realize that Z-ONE is nowhere to be seen… and there is a hole shaped like his machine and the mechanical arms going through one of Ark Cradle's buildings. For a moment, I think I've caused him to crash (and, consequentially, lose automatically), but another loud crashing sound echoes through the area, and he flies out of the building's other side, unscathed.

Well… mostly unscathed. The machine he is riding on is perfectly fine, as are the two arms and the Deck Holder.

His mask, though. The entire left side is cracked into countless pieces. Before my very eyes, the pieces start to be carried away by the wind.

When they're all gone, and I can see his face, I know I can no longer deny the truth. The face under the mask… it's an elderly version of… "Z-ONE… no…" I pause a moment. "Yusei… just what happened to you in your world?"

**To be continued…**

Me: Yep, that's all for this chapter!

Sky: Of course. Of _course_ you made him Yusei. And of _course_ you killed a bunch of people in the other world.

Lucy: Ah, but not everyone! I was told not to.

Me: So she left Crow alone… not much of a 'don't kill everyone'…

Lucy: Hey, I _can_ still kill him off! I can rewrite that part if I have to!

Me: *Glares at Lucy* Say one more thing and I'm going to let Piano and Rudolph attack what you have written and make it utterly stupid.

Lucy: One more thing.

Me: *Smacks the back of Lucy's head* Don't be a smart aleck.

Lucy: *Sticks tongue out, then walks into the corner and sulks*

Sky: …Well, that was an effective threat.

Me: Lucy doesn't want any of the other muses messing with what she has so far.

Shade: Even when I suggested a different torture method in the killing of AU-Sky that would have been much more satisfying, she attempted to set me on fire.

Sky: *Backs away from Shade* O…kay…

Me: *Sigh* Well, this was a fun chapter to write, and the next one obviously goes into Z-ONE's backstory. You know who died, but you don't know how. And just who is Natsumi…? You can probably guess, but you'll have to wait for a full answer until next chapter. And the next chapter won't come unless I get reviews…

**Having Z-ONE say Rudger instead of Roman was not a mistake. The characters will be referred to by their Japanese names (if they are different) in the world Z-ONE is from**


	60. Chapter 60: Parallel Tragedy, Part I

Me: *Sigh* Well, Lucy won't shut up, so I'm just going along with it and updating Blue Sky. HOWEVER, the next update WILL NOT be Blue Sky—I will lock Lucy in the Closet of Doom if I have to.

Lucy: *Eyes widen* Okay… I'll work on… uh… Shimmer.

Me: Good, I'm cool with that.

Sky: Anything but this story is fine by me. *Shivers* So, who dies in this chapter?

Lucy: Only one person! But it's really only talked about so…

Me: This chapter is basically going to be the tip of the iceberg of evilness.

Sky: Lovely.

Me: I know. *Shrugs* Well, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds, but I do own my OCs. As a fair warning, some characters might seem OOC, but since they're from an alternate universe, it's all good, right? Ah well, I hope you enjoy it anyways! Ooh, and I suggest listening to a remix by TheGuitahHeroe (it's on YouTube) called "The Greatest Loss of All" while reading the first two cutscenes, just because I feel the song fits the mood…

**Chapter 60**

"'What happened to me'?" Z-ONE repeats. "What _happened_ to me? I lost _EVERYTHING_!"

A burst of light surrounds me, and when it dims, I find myself in the same white landscape that I was in when Dusk and the others were explaining everything to us. There is a scene playing out below us… of three children and their parents playing at the park.

I gasp as I recognize the children—myself, when I was ten, Yusei, when he was two, and the last girl has to be a one-year-old Natsumi. Natsumi is in one of the baby swings, cheering and saying stuff in baby language as my mom pushes her.

On the other hand, Sky has Yusei on her shoulders and is running around the park, rambling on explanations of what everything there was. The young Yusei looks around with curiosity.

I take a better look at Natsumi. I don't know why I didn't see the resemblance before, but I see it perfectly now. "Natsumi is—was—your younger sister, wasn't she?"

"Yes, she was," Z-ONE replies. "And she was the fourth to die. Although, you _do_ have to see the others first, if her death is going to make any sense."

**XXX**

"_See, Mimi? You kick out when you go back, and you pull your legs in when you go forward!" a young Yusei, about four years old, exclaims. The wind ruffles his hair as he kicks out his legs and the swing goes backwards._

"_Coo'!" a little girl squeals from the side of the swing set. She has black hair, with a gold stripe on the left side, and eyes the same color of the stripe. The girl has on a plain white T-shirt, and short pink shorts._

_Yusei puts his feet down to stop his momentum. His feet skid along the ground, kicking up sand. Once the swing slows to a stop, the boy hops off. He runs over to the smaller girl and grabs her arm. "Come on, you try!"_

"_But I don' wanna!" the girl protests. "Youw tuwn s'ill, nii-san!"_

"_I've had enough of a turn," the black-haired boy replies. "It's your turn now, Mimi!"_

"_Now Yusei, if Natsumi doesn't want to use the swing, she doesn't have to," a man in front of them scolds. He has on jeans and a grey collared T-shirt, black hair in almost the same style that Yusei does, and blue eyes—lighter than Yusei's. This man is Dr. Ryuu Fudo, world-renowned scientist, husband, and father of three. "Besides, it's almost dinner time. That means it's time to go home."_

"_Aw…" Yusei whines, but then his eyes light up. "Do you think nee-chan is better?"_

_Dr. Fudo smiles and ruffles his son's hair, "Possibly. It depends on whether or not she just has a stomach bug or if she has the flu."_

"_If she has the flu, can we come back here to-mah-ro?" Yusei asks. "It's con-ta-jus, isn't it?"_

"_Contagious, and yes, it is," his father replies. "If that's the case, then it'll be up to Martha."_

"_Okay!" the young boy exclaims. He suddenly starts running to the parking lot, shouting, "Race you to the car!"_

_Dr. Fudo chuckles, scoops up his youngest daughter, and walks quickly enough to catch up to Yusei just as the boy tags the red car._

"_I win!" Yusei shouts._

"_Yes, it looks like you did," Ryuu replies._

"_Down!" Natsumi calls, squirming in her father's arms. He puts her down, and she reaches up, grabs the handle to the car door, and opens it. She grins, "I open it!"_

_The two kids climb into the car, getting in their respective car seats—a pink one covered in unicorns for Natsumi and a black one with white stars on it for Yusei—and Ryuu buckles them in. Then he gets into the driver's seat, and is just about to put the keys in the ignition when his phone rings. Dr. Fudo grabs the phone with his free hand and answers it. "Hello? …Yes, this is he. …!"_

_A look of shock crosses the scientist's face, and he drops the car keys. He blinks a few times before saying, "What was that? …Y-Yes, my eldest daughter and my wife are both home. Did they make it out?" Worry now fills his face, and the two kids in the backseat can sense that something is wrong. "I-I understand," Ryuu says into the phone. "Where… where have they taken them? …Alright, thank you." Click._

_Dr. Fudo drops his phone into the cup holder and grips the steering wheel tightly—so tight that his knuckles turn white._

"_Who was that, Papa?" Yusei asks curiously, leaning forward in his seat._

"_That… that was Sector Security," he replies. "There was a… fire at our house."_

"_A fire?! But… but Mama and Sky are fine, right?"_

"…_I don't know. They're at the hospital."_

_The boy leans back in his seat, the faintest trace of worry appearing on his face. "The doctors're going to fix them," he states, though his voice wavers._

_Ryuu looks out the windshield. "I hope so," he mutters, too quiet for his children to hear. Leaning down, he retrieves the car keys from the floor, and grabs his phone. He dials a number and waits a few moments. "Ah, Martha? I need you to keep an eye on Yusei and Natsumi for… for a few hours. …I'll tell you later. …Thank you. I'll drop them off in a few minutes." Click._

"_But I want to go to the hospital with you!" Yusei protests the moment his father hangs up._

_Ryuu shakes his head. "The hospital isn't a place for kids your age. You'll be fine at Martha's for a few hours, won't you?"_

_Yusei pouts a little, but eventually says, "Yes Papa."_

**XXX**

_The screen goes dark for a moment, until it shows the inside of some house, with Yusei and Natsumi asleep on the couch, their father sitting next to them with sorrow on his face, and Martha standing in front of them, sympathy etched in her expression._

_The sleeping form of the four-year-old boy starts to move, and his eyes flutter open. Rubbing them with one hand, he drowsily looks around. Upon seeing his father, he's no longer drowsy, and his eyes light up. "Daddy! How are Mama and Sky? They're fine, right?"_

_Because of Yusei moving, Natsumi also wakes up, muttering, "Mama…?"_

_Ryuu hugs the two close for a moment, and then lets go of them. "Sky is fine, but the doctors need to keep an eye on her for a few more days."_

"_Can we see her to-mah-ro?" Yusei asks._

"_Maybe…" he replies._

"_Mama?" Natsumi asks louder. "Whewe Mama?"_

_Their father closes his eyes, tilting his head down. He doesn't say anything._

"_Is Mama… dead?" Yusei asks._

_Dr. Fudo inhales sharply, "Do you know what that word means?"_

"_Yep! Alice told me!" Yusei replies. "It's what happens when someone gets reeeeally old or hurt reeeeally bad, and they go to sleep and never wake up, so we put them in a comfy box called a coffin and bury them so no one can hurt them, and we can't see them again until _we_ die."_

_Silence fills the room, until Natsumi makes a funny noise, like a mixture of a sob and a moan. "I wan' Mama!"_

"_Mama's not here," Ryuu whispers. "Mama's not coming back."_

"_No! I wan' Mama!"_

_Yusei just sits there, not saying anything, while his younger sister pitches a fruitless tantrum._

**XXX**

I have no idea what to say. Losing my parents hurt, enough for me to want revenge on Roman for doing it. My only comfort was that Yusei wouldn't have to hurt like I did, because he was too young to remember them. But Z-ONE, being old enough to remember his mom dying…

"Not only did we have to deal with the fact that our mother died," Z-ONE continues, "we had to deal with how it affected you."

"With how it affected me? But why…? Oh. She was home when it happened."

**XXX**

_With Natsumi in his arms and Yusei on his heels, Dr. Fudo goes to enter the room his eldest daughter's name is listed on. A nearby doctor—a man with brown hair and thick glasses, stops him. "Sir, I wouldn't go in there."_

"_Why not? She's my daughter," Ryuu replies._

"_Well… last night the girl—uh, Sky—woke up from some sort of nightmare, screaming like a banshee. She eventually stopped, but every time a doctor went to check on her, she'd start screaming again."_

"_What about Dr. Izumi Kyosuke? Was she one of them?"_

"_Yes, and the same reaction ensued. The only difference was that she started screaming about 'white coats'."_

"_Interesting…" Ryuu mutters. He sets Natsumi down and takes off his own labcoat. "Maybe it's not the people, but the coats." He places the coat on a nearby hook. "I'm here to see my daughter, and these two are here to see their sister. We're going in there, alright?"_

"_Suit yourself," the doctor replies, walking away._

_So the family of three enters the hospital room. Twelve-year-old Sky is awake, curled up in a ball, on the bed. Her right arm is wrapped in gauze, and there is a scab down her left cheek. The girl's eyes are red and swollen, and her lips move as though she's trying to talk._

"_Nee-chan!" Yusei cries out._

_Instantly the gold-and-silver haired girl blinks and looks in their direction. Her mouth hangs open slightly, until it slowly turns into a smile. Not a happy smile—more of a "thanks for trying to cheer me up, but it's not working" smiles. The grief is clearly shown in her eyes._

_Natsumi wiggles her way to the floor, and along with Yusei, runs and jumps onto the hospital bed. The two younger siblings hug the older one as tight as they can. Sky simply flinches, her sad smile turning into a grimace. "Ahhhh…" she groans._

"_Yusei, Natsumi, you can't be hugging her so tight. She's injured," Ryuu scolds._

_Yusei mutters an apology as he lets go, and Natsumi does as well. Then Natsumi reveals something to Sky—a slightly singed teddy bear that has clearly been repaired over the years. The teddy bear is also holding a card that is doodled all over, though the words 'Get Well Soon' can be seen within the doodles. "Feo safe! Youws now!"_

_The injured girl slowly reaches out with her good arm, pulls it back once she gets close to touching the bear, but eventually takes the small bear from her younger sister. Tears well up in her eyes. "I'm sorry!" Sky exclaims, trying to blink them away. "I'm sorry I had to be sick and Mommy had to take care of me and—MOMMY!" She fully breaks down into sobs, her entire frame shaking violently._

**XXX**

"That's how you were, even after you left the hospital," Z-ONE says. "For almost half a year, you'd wake up in the middle of the night screaming bloody murder at all hours of the night." He shakes his head. "But, the nightmares _did_ stop, and a new 'normal' for us was created. We didn't go to a daycare or school; on days he had off, Father would teach us, and on days that he didn't, Martha would."

So, a mostly secluded life. I remember how that felt; all of the energy I wanted to let out; all of the curiosity and _wanting_ to go outside, but not being allowed to. I suppose Z-ONE's seclusion wasn't as bad as mine… but… "What changed? How did you and Natsumi end up not… uh… secluded like that?"

A small grin appears on his face, like he's recalling a happy memory. It quickly vanishes, and he says, "You talked Father into letting us go to Duel Academy. At the time, I was almost fifteen, and Natsumi thirteen-and-a-half. Granted, we had to wait until the start of second semester, but we _did_ get in. Surprisingly, we made friends quite easily—as strange as it might be, almost getting run over is apparently a good way to meet people. But that's not the point. We were quickly accepted into a group at school."

'_Okay, the almost getting run over thing sounded interesting,'_ I think, _'but I'll let it slide…'_

**XXX**

_Yusei and Natsumi, now in their respective Duel Academy uniforms, are being dragged across the cafeteria by an orange-haired teen—who is in an orange variant of the uniform. They wade through the sea of people until they reach the other side, where most of the tables are full._

_The only one with space left holds four people—a girl who looks exactly like the boy that just pulled them across the cafeteria, only in the female uniform, a black-haired girl with violet eyes and a slight smirk on her face, another girl—trying to seclude herself from the rest of them—who has long magenta hair, amber eyes, and a strange metal hairpiece holding up her bangs, and a boy with green hair and gold eyes, a grin on his face._

"_Okay, so you know that I'm Crow, and my sis is Angel," the orange-haired teen starts, "that's Alice Atlas," he points at the dark-haired girl, "Rua Heartily," he points to the boy, "and finally, Aki Izayoi," he points to the remaining girl. "You gonna sit with us?"_

_Yusei and Natsumi exchange looks. "I don't see why not," Yusei replies._

"_Sure, we'll sit with you," Natsumi says._

"_Great!" Crow plops himself down next to Angel, at the same time pulling a slice of pizza out of his lunch box. He looks at Rua, "Say, where's Ruka?"_

"_Sick today," the green-haired boy replies._

"_On the first day of school?" Alice asks. "Ah, well, I hope she feels better."_

"_Who's Ruka?" Natsumi asks._

"_My sister," Rua replies. "And she should be better soon! Divine is certain she'll be well enough to come to school tomorrow," Rua replies. _

"_Your sister is part of the Arcadia Movement?"_

"_Uh… yeah…? I am too, but only because Ruka wouldn't join without me. I'm not psychic like Aki and Angel," Rua admits. "How'd you know? All I did was mention Divine."_

"_He's tried to make our older sister join a few times," Yusei says, a sour tone in his voice._

_Rua's eyes widen, and his jaw drops. "Wait, you… you're Fudos, aren't you?"_

"_We are," Natsumi replies. "I'm Natsumi, and he's Yusei. Why, there something wrong with our family?"_

"_Nah, you're like, a legend between the members of the Movement," he replies excitedly. "The only people to repeatedly turn down an offer to join."_

"_Well, it's more like Father won't let her join…" Yusei says. "He says it isn't something Mother would have wanted."_

_An awkward silence befalls the table, until someone loudly announces, "Hey! What're you doing in my seat?"_

_Natsumi turns, and finds herself on the receiving end of a death glare from a tall blonde teenager with violet eyes. "I didn't know there were assigned seats," she replies calmly._

"_Give her a break Jack," Alice says. "Besides, there's still room at the table for you."_

"_Hmph." Jack sits down next to Alice, slamming a tray of food on the table as he does so._

_Alice rolls her eyes. "Well, this here is Jack, and if you can't tell, he's my older brother."_

**XXX**

"Wait wait wait, _what_?! Jack has a _sister_?! And what's with the name changes?!" I exclaim.

"In my world, yes, he did. But here? No," Z-ONE replies. "As for why some names are different and some are the same, I have no idea. Perhaps it is just another way to make our worlds different."

'Another_ way?'_ I think. _'What was the other?'_ The answer clicks into place. "You… you never had Zero Reverse, did you?"

"Correct. Momentum—what you call Ener-D—never spun in reverse in my world." He closes his eye, and a snarl appears on his face. "But it was destructive all the same."

"I… don't follow," I say, utterly confused. "If it didn't spin in reverse, then how could it be destructive?"

"…Not yet. You need to see one more scene before I tell you the secret of Momentum—the one that sets the stage for the other nine deaths," he says. "This was about two months after first going to Duel Academy, if you care for when this happened…"

**XXX**

"…_So _Stardust Spark Dragon_ attacks you directly, and you lose!" Natsumi exclaims proudly._

_The teenager is sitting at a placemat across from her older sister. The mat has several cards on it—one face-down on Sky's side, three on Natsumi's—and the only monster on the field is the 2500 ATK, 2000 DEF _Stardust Spark Dragon_, in the younger Fudo's possession._

"_Not so fast, little sister," Sky counters, flipping up the face-down card. "I activate my Trap _Magic Cylinder_, so you take the damage instead, and I win."_

_Natsumi throws her hands up in defeat. "So, you won't go easy on your little sister even on her birthday?"_

"_You know I don't do 'easy'," Sky teases. "Sorry if you expected anything different."_

"_Meh, I really wasn't…" Natsumi mumbles._

_The doorbell rings, and the two sisters look up to the door. Yusei goes and answers it—several Sector Security officers stand on the porch. "Can I help you?" Yusei asks._

"_Yes, is a woman by the name of Sky Fudo here?" the lead officer—a man with twin jagged scars on each cheek asks. "We need to ask her a few questions concerning… the fire."_

_Sky tenses up. "I've told you everything I know!" she says forcefully. "Leave me be!"_

_The officer pushes Yusei to the side. "Unfortunately, we have evidence that says your entire testimony is a lie… and that the fire was set on purpose."_

_The golden-haired woman's eyes become wide as saucers, and a short gasp escapes her lips. The room falls so quiet, someone could drop a pin and it would be heard. Sky blinks, and whispers, "…That can't be right. It was… it was an old… gas pipe…"_

"_Miss Fudo, the evidence we received last night overwhelmingly proves that the presumed cause of the fire was incorrect," the officer continues. "The truth is… you're under arrest for the murder of Ayame Fudo."_

"_NO!" Sky screeches, grabbing her head. "NO! I DIDN'T KILL HER!" She closes her eyes, shakes her head a few times, and jumps off the floor, dragging Natsumi up with her. In one fluid motion, she has her sister in a choke hold, and some sort of knife is in her other hand. "Stay… stay away from me or-or…"_

_Natsumi says nothing, but complete shock appears on Yusei's face. "Sky! What are you doing?"_

"_I… I… the dreams… the nightmare… real, all real… white coat… Godwin… white coat… Mommy…" Tears start to fall from the eldest Fudo's eyes, and she releases Natsumi, throwing the knife to the ground. "No! Not real! Just a nightmare! The fire wasn't my fault!" she screams. A Duel Disk appears on her arm—how, no one will ever know—and she places a card on it. A giant flash of light surrounds her, and when it dims, she is gone._

_The officer swears, pulling a radio off his belt. "Fudo's on the run! I repeat, we've got a runner!" He turns around, running through the still-open door._

_The two siblings stand there, staring at each other in shock. Their _sister_, wanted for the _murder_ of their _mother_?_

**XXX**

As soon as that scene cuts off, I'm stunned to silence again. The fact that I don't know what the 'evidence' is supposed to be only makes me more confused. How could the other me _possibly_ do something like that? What sort of evidence is it, that proves a _twelve-year-old_ started a fire that killed her mother and injured herself?

"You think that she—_my_ Sky—is innocent, don't you?" Z-ONE asks. "I did as well. I refused to believe what the officer had said. My friends backed me up; they didn't think that something like that could have happened. In the end, we were right and wrong… Our 'investigations' brought us to the truth we wanted, yet we got a much larger one along with it."

I swallow, "That's, uh… Momentum's secret, right?"

"Yes, it is. We—Rua, Crow, and I—discovered it _before_ the truth about Mother's death by breaking into Rudger's office."

**XXX**

_The room is dark, with only two flashlights and light from the crack in the door being the only sources of light. Rua stands by the door, looking out through the crack. On the other side of the room, where there are several cabinets and a desk, Yusei and Crow dig through files they keep finding._

_Returning a file to the desk, Yusei tries to open the bottom drawer in it—but it's locked. He motions to Crow, and the ginger crawls over. He stares at the lock and grins, pulling out a ring of keys. He puts the smallest one in it and turns it. A satisfying click, and the drawer opens._

"_Guys! Somebody's coming!" Rua whispers._

_Yusei looks up. "Hide, then! I'll lead the guard away, if it comes to that!"_

_The green-haired teen nods, ducking into a side closet. Crow grabs as many things as he can out of the previously locked drawer—two journals and a bunch of lose paper—while Yusei stands up and walks to the door._

_The partially open door now crashes open, an angry security guard glaring at the first person he sees inside—Yusei. "Well well well, looks like we've got a trespasser," he notes._

_Instantly, Yusei tries to come up with an excuse. "S-Sir, I didn't mean to! I was trying to surprise my father, but I haven't been here in so long that I wandered into the wrong room! Please, don't report me! It was an accident!"_

"_Sorry kid, I've got orders straight from Director Godwin himself," the guard replies, grabbing Yusei's arm. "Anybody come in this room without permission, and I arrest them. Accident or not."_

_As the officer drags Yusei out the door, the teen spares a look back to the desk. His eyes lock with Crow's, and the ginger mouths, "Sorry!"_

_Yusei just blinks in response, and follows the officer away._

**XXX**

"_What were you _thinking_?!" Dr. Fudo demands as soon as he slams the car door shut._

_Yusei—now branded with a Criminal Mark—says nothing; just stares out the window._

"_I know that what you told them was a lie," his father adds, anger laced in his voice. "Why? Why _Rudger's_ office? Do you know what you've _done_?"_

"_I'm trying to find out what really happened to Mother!" Yusei snaps._

"_Well, now that you've done _that_, you'll be able to ask her yourself!" Dr. Fudo blinks in surprise. "I…" he coughs._

"…_What?"_

"_Nothing. Forget I said that."_

"_I have the right to know what happened to her! Unless…" a livid look crosses Yusei's face, "were you a part of it?"_

"_Of course not! I just… I know who did, and I… I don't want to lose you or Natsumi…"_

"_So the fire really wasn't an accident?"_

"…_It wasn't. _They_ orchestrated it because… because Ayame was poking in their research too much. Found some… irregularities." A tear falls down the scientist's face, "_They_ were killing people—they claimed it to be for science of all things—and she was going to turn them in…"_

"_Who are 'they'?" Yusei demands. "And how does Sky fit into all of this?"_

"_No, I've said too much," his father replies. "Just… give up on this path. Please."_

"_But…" Yusei frowns, biting the inside of his bottom lip. He looks back out the window and says, "Yes, Father."_

_The rest of the ride home is in silence._

**XXX**

"_Yusei! Natsumi!" Crow calls._

_The two siblings stop walking towards Duel Academy and turn around, just in time to see their orange-haired friend trip over the curb and land on his face. He quickly gets up and dusts himself off. "Ah, that's gonna bruise," he pokes his left cheek and winces. Looking back at Yusei and Natsumi, he says, "Oh, they didn't mark you?"_

"_They did. Makeup," Yusei replies. He shakes his head, and his fingers twitch a little. "Never mind that. What were you going to say?"_

"_You aren't going to _believe_ what I found in one of the journals I stole from my uncle's office," Crow replies. "Him and my dad have been working with Divine, running all these kinds of experiments. I've only been able to read to the results of the first couple—didn't have time to get to the rest—but… Man, you have to read it yourself."_

_Crow hands over a journal after opening it up to a certain page. He points to a line near the bottom that's circled._

_Yusei reads it aloud. "'Conclusion: Psychic Duelists do not inherently have abilities. Rather, they subconsciously manipulate the Momentum stored in their hearts, and the energy responds in various ways.'"_

"…_What in the world?" Natsumi asks, summarizing all of their thoughts._

**To be continued…**

Me: That's it for this chapter.

Sky: What. The. Heck. You… that… *Throws arms and gestures at Lucy in frustration* Myeh!?

Me: Er, yeah. She's trying to pull out the most magnificent backstory… that might end up becoming a sidestory like Rewind…

Sky: Seriously? I don't even want to think of the horrors a more in-depth telling of that might bring…

Me: Neither do I, Sky. Neither do I. *Claps hands together* Well, this is only part one, and part two will only come out with reviews! I thank everyone who has reviewed—especially because the last chapter got _five_, when I usually get three! I really like to hear everyone's comments about the story, so please leave a review! If you have a question, I might answer it (or say that it'll be answered in the next chapter or two)!


	61. Chapter 61: Parallel Tragedy, Part II

Me: Uhm… I really don't have much to talk about right now, so I'm just going to cut to the chase. There are three death scenes in this chapter… Hehe, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds, but I do own my OCs and, I think, Z-ONE's backstory for the moment. Enjoy…?

**Chapter 61**

My mouth is moving, but words aren't coming out. I want to voice my questions, but I can't seem to find my voice. If… if that's _really_ what gives Psychics their powers…

"Surprised? I was too; we all were," Z-ONE says. "The revelations in that journal—which was only a record of the experiments they ran—didn't stop there. Oh, there were many that were just as surprising. Like the fact that those who see Duel Spirits _don't_ concentrate Momentum for their ability. Or the fact that Psychics are dependent on the Momentum in their hearts—remove it, and they die a painful death within minutes."

"What sort of experiments were they running?" I ask in horror.

"Ones where some of the participants didn't survive," he replies. "Oh, but those aren't the worst of them. The worst has to be the one about them figuring out how to control Psychics. Of how to let them function normally, but fully conformed to the will of whoever controlled the machine."

"How is that worse than figuring out an easy way to kill people?" I ask.

"Because… Divine—the man you call Sayer—he was the one in charge of the machine."

Oh, that's lovely. If Divine is anywhere near the level or evil that Sayer is, then him having control of a device like that doesn't sound good. At all. I mean, Sayer was willing to kill people to get what he wanted. Divine _has_ killed people, if he helped in these experiments.

Then I remember what he said about the mind control device being the worst of them. "What did… What did Divine do with the device?"

**XXX**

_The lunch table is missing several people. Aki, Rua, Angel, Ruka. All nowhere to be seen. Crow looks a little unnerved by this, because his sister is one of the missing, and the rest of the table's occupants (other than Jack) are clearly worried. Natsumi has the second journal, and is looking through it._

"_Why aren't they here?" Yusei asks._

"_I have no idea," Crow replies. "I know Angel was called for early release last period. Something's fishy though, because whenever _she_ gets called, I get to leave too. _And_ I don't remember there being any type of appointment today…"_

"_Am I the only one who finds it strange that the people who are missing are affiliated with the Arcadia Movement?"_

_The table's occupants turn around to see a dark-haired girl with thick glasses staring at them. She blushes a little, and adds, "Uh, I was… just saying…"_

"_You're probably right, Carly," Yusei says. "Last night, Crow stole two journals from his uncle's office—he's working with Divine on something. We just don't know—"_

"_Uh, guys!" Natsumi exclaims. "I think I just figured out what it is!"_

"_What?"_

_A sudden commotion at the entrance of the cafeteria blocks out what Natsumi was trying to say. The crowd of noisy people parts at one place, and someone runs through—Rua, in an Arcadian uniform, breathless and with a bruise across his face._

"_Rua! What happened to you?" Yusei asks._

"_They, the machine… he… Divine turned it on… not themselves… tried to kill me…" The green-haired boy stops, takes a few breaths, and steadies himself. "Divine turned on the machine that lets him control people and now all of the Psychics, no…" he shakes his head, "just Angel and Aki. They've both gone berserk, and he ordered them to kill _everyone_! I… I don't know where Ruka is, either. We got se-separated inside…" At that statement, he bursts into tears._

"_It's started, then," Natsumi says as her brother comforts Leo. She holds up the journal. "Rudger… he wrote out what he suspects Divine's plan to be. He-he plans to get rid of all the people in the Movement he doesn't need, and then… and then use the remaining ones to storm Father's workplace and take control of Momentum! Do you know what he could _do_ with that power?"_

"_He needs to be stopped," Yusei says._

"_Let's formulate a plan first, alright?" Alice says. "Then we'll cut school and try to stop them."_

**XXX**

"We were foolish, to think that a half-baked plan created by a few teenagers was going to change anything," Z-ONE says. The emotion in his eye is regret as he continues, "We thought that they'd still be at Arcadia HQ. Angel and Aki were, but not Divine or… or you. You were already at Father's workplace along with Divine and Rudger."

**XXX**

_Yusei, Natsumi, Jack, Alice, Crow, and Rua are running through some sort of hallway. Other than them, it's empty and relatively silent; just their footsteps echoing off the walls._

_And then they turn the corner._

_The first thing they register is the overwhelming scent of copper, or rather, blood._

_The second thing they register are the bodies. Dozens of them, all on the floor, in puddles of their own blood. Dead or dying._

_The third thing they register is the lone person standing at the end of the hall. Aki. She looks at them but doesn't _see_, her eyes giving off a dead light rather than the normal energy._

"_Aki! Did you do this?" Yusei asks._

"_Divine has no room for weaklings," she says coldly. "Nor is there room for people who would interfere with his plans!" In one fluid motion, she slams a card onto her Duel Disk._

_Her signature dragon appears in a storm of rose petals, and roars._

_Jack steps in front of the group. "Izayoi! Duel me!"_

"_Jack, what are you doing?" Alice asks. "You're going to get yourself hurt… or worse…"_

"_I'm buying you guys time! Keep going!"_

"_I'm not leaving you!" his sister retorts, folding her arms._

"_I'll… stay too… Need to… catch my breath," Rua agrees._

_Jack snarls a little, but turns to Yusei, Natsumi, and Crow. "Then you three keep going. We'll catch up as soon as I defeat Aki."_

"_Defeat me?" Aki asks. Then she laughs, "I accept your challenge, Atlas!" She removes _Black Rose Dragon_ from her Duel Disk, and returns it to her Extra Deck._

_Crow and Natsumi start running again, and Yusei reluctantly follows them. As they run past Aki, the magenta-haired girl shouts, "Angel will deal with you!"_

**XXX**

_They turn into another hallway, one with about as much carnage as the one they found Aki in. The only difference is that Crow stops, shouting, "Ruka!"_

_One of the bodies in the hallway belongs to the green-haired girl, who has her eyes shut and mouth half-open. Upon hearing her name, her eyes shoot open. "Crow?"_

"_Dammit Ruka, you nearly gave me a heart attack," Crow replies, running over to her side and helping her off the floor._

"_Sorry! I didn't know if either of them would come back, so I just played dead to my best ability," Ruka replies. "Is Rua alright?"_

"_He's back in the other hallway with Jack and Alice… and Aki," Yusei replies._

_Her golden eyes widen. "With Aki? No, she's only going to… I have to go back there! I have to stop Aki!"_

_Crow catches her before she starts running. "No, you don't. Jack's taking care of it, and trust me, he's gonna win, not some brainwashed person."_

"_But…" Ruka looks longingly down the hall, like she still wants to make a break for it. "Okay, I… I trust you." She turns to face the other direction. "Here, I'll take you to Divine's office. If he's still here, that's where he'll be."_

**XXX**

_The four step off of the elevator, and Ruka points to the right. "It's at the end of this hallway," she says._

"_Well, what are we waiting for? There's an insane sociopath to stop!" Natsumi announces, moving to the front of the group._

"_Wait," her brother says, grabbing her arm. "Something doesn't feel right…"_

_As he says this, there's a faint zipping sound, and an arrow whizzes through the air, narrowly missing Natsumi—it's less than an inch from her face—before it lands in the wall and quickly turns to dust. The black-haired girl—and her friends—all have the same reaction. That is, to drop to the floor, anticipating more arrows._

_The anticipation is correct; two more fly overhead before one of them can locate the archer. Angel stands at the end of the hallway to the left, eyes with the same dead look that Aki had. A bow is in her hand, with another arrow already notched. She aims it at Ruka._

"_Angel! Stop it!" Crow shouts._

_Understanding returns to her eyes just for a moment, and Angel asks, "Crow…?" But then she blinks, and the lifeless look returns. She aims the arrow at Crow this time._

_Crow's face pales as he quickly scrambles off the floor, dragging Ruka up with him. "We'll lead her away from here, Yusei! You and Natsumi keep going!" Then he motions to Ruka, and the two run at the brainwashed Angel._

_The orange-haired girl lowers her bow and frowns, like she's trying to remember something but can't. She shakes her head and turns—because Crow and Ruka have already run past her and turned the corner—and chases after them._

_Yusei helps his younger sister off of the floor. He looks in the direction that his friends went. "You think it's possible to break someone free from the mind control device?"_

"_Well, Angel did, for a second," Natsumi replies. She turns to face the right side of the hallway. "No time for that, though. If Divine is here, then he's in there," she points to the door at the end of the hallway, "just like Ruka said."_

_The two slowly approach the door, exchange looks, and then open it with a stolen key card. They walk into the room. It's large, with the exterior wall entirely glass, like a giant window. There are several statues and bookshelves against the dark walls, and there is a desk on the other side of the room. There is a chair there, its back turned towards the two Fudos._

"_Divine! We know what you're planning, and we won't let you do it!" Yusei declares._

_A short chuckle comes from the other side of the chair. "Oh, Yusei, I am not Divine." The chair spins around, revealing Rex Godwin is sitting in it. He clasps his hands together and rests his elbows on the desk, placing his head on top of his hands. "Are you absolutely certain you know what Divine is planning?"_

_A flicker of surprise crosses Yusei's face, but it quickly disappears._

"_He's going to attack Father's workplace, and take control of Momentum," Natsumi replies._

"_Yes, but for what?" Godwin replies._

"_It doesn't matter what for; what matters is stopping him!" Yusei replies._

_Godwin shakes his head, "Such narrow thinking. I see you've both inherited that from your mother."_

_Rage flares in Yusei's eyes, "What do you know about her?"_

_Natsumi gasps. "You can't possibly…!" She looks at her brother, "Yusei, remember what Sky said, before she ran away? She mentioned the name 'Godwin', and we assumed it meant Rudger… but…"_

"_She was probably referring to me," Rex finishes. "After all, I was there when she killed your mother."_

"_You're lying!" Yusei snaps. "Sky would _never_ kill anyone, much less our mother!"_

"_Tsk tsk tsk, you're forgetting the mind control device," Godwin replies. "Sky was the first successful test subject to use it on. …Too bad your mother had to poke her nose in where it didn't belong." He unclasps his hands and stands up. "And then Ryuu began to get suspicious, so we had to leave Sky alone. A shame, too. She was the first successful subject in many of our experiments."_

"_Quit talking about my sister like she's some sort of _object_!" Natsumi shouts._

**XXX**

"The rest of that conversation ended up being Godwin talking about why he and Rudger helped Sayer with all of the experiments—supposedly, it was all for science," Z-ONE cuts it as the scene mutes and fast forwards at the same time.

Now it has Yusei yelling at Godwin, and Natsumi, fists clenched and head down, clearly about to burst…

**XXX**

"…_You're lying," Natsumi says when her brother stops mid-rant to take a breath._

"_Hmm? And what makes you say that?" Godwin replies, staring at the younger Fudo._

"_Well, for starters, it's your field of work. You're a politician, not a scientist," Natsumi starts. "And you certainly weren't at some sort of position like being the Director of New Domino back when this started—you wouldn't have been able to cover much of anything up back then. Combined with the fact that Rudger's second journal doesn't mention you _at all_ until several _years _after the experiments first started. So… why you? Why did you start helping them?"_

_A look of surprise fills the older man's face. Stuns him to silence, in fact. "I… I can't… say."_

"_So you admit you never wanted anything to do with it?" Natsumi asks._

_Godwin's face turns white, and now he clenches his fists. He grits his teeth. "I. Can't. Say."_

"_Because you're scared of Divine aren't you? Because he's listening to this entire thing, right?"_

_Silence._

_Natsumi smirks. "Your silence speaks words, Godwin. See, I think I've got your motive in this figured out. You had no idea this entire thing was going on, but then Rudger told you about the entire thing. Divine wasn't going to let this stand, so it was either stay quiet and join… or die like… like my mother."_

_More silence._

"_I don't think it started there, either. You were helping Mother, weren't you? The two of you were going to come clean with everything to Security. Buuuuuut that's when Divine ordered the brainwashed Sky to kill her, and you had to bury your plans deep. Divine must've still suspected something, so instead of directly threatening your life, he got your daughter into the project. That's why Angel's out in this building, trying to murder Crow and Ruka—"_

"_That wasn't part of the deal!" Godwin snaps. As soon as he does so, he flinches back, shaking his head. "Gah…"_

"_And… what was the deal?"_

_Godwin glares at Natsumi, "I… I would stay quiet about the event, and in return, my family would be allowed to live. I never wanted Angel in this, but when she developed psychic abilities… Divine jumped at the chance to further blackmail me into submission. Then… then it became a deal of keeping Angel out of the… the experiments where the participants would probably die."_

_The room goes quiet again._

"_I was right, then," Natsumi says, breaking the silence. "I didn't think you were so… uncaring when it came to human lives. You were doing it all to keep Crow and Angel and… Miyuki is your wife's name, right? You were doing it to keep them safe."_

"_What… what does it matter now?!" Rex snaps, actually on the verge of tears. "You've doomed us all!"_

"_Doomed us?" Yusei asks. "What are you talking about?"_

_The door—the only exit other than the window, but considering the room is many floors above the ground, that isn't an option—makes several strange clicking noises and shuts by itself. Yusei whips around and tries to open it back up. The reader rejects the card, and he can't seem to find a decent enough grip on the door to get it open._

"_What did you do?" Yusei asks, turning around and staring at Rex._

"_What did _I _do? No, this is Divine's doing, and now we're all going to be dead in moments!"_

_The grey-haired, grey-eyed man slowly turns around to face the window, and shrugs off his suit jacket, revealing the white long-sleeve underneath…_

…_And a black device with a bright red countdown strapped over it tightly._

01:00… 00:59… 00:58…

"_Is that a…? Why didn't you tell us about that in the first place?!" Yusei shouts._

"_He only started the countdown once I mentioned the deal!" Godwin replies in an equally loud voice._

"_What can we do?" Natsumi asks._

"_Nothing, unfortunately. Now that the timer has started, it won't stop, nor can you defuse it," he replies. _

00:46… 00:45… 00:44…

"_So you're just giving up?" Natsumi asks._

"_I have no other choice…" He closes his eyes and shakes his head. "I'm sorry. For all that it's worth, I'm sorry."_

"_Then let us help! We can defuse the bomb!" Yusei replies._

00:33… 00:32… 00:31…

"_Not with less than half a minute left. Divine showed me the device before he forced it on me. It's… a very complicated device, and that's putting it extremely lightly," Rex says. "There… there is another way out of here, though. The two… the two of you can try to… put a stop to Divine's plans."_

"_Not without you!" Natsumi shouts. "I… I've heard how highly Crow and Angel talk about you! You… you can't just… _die_!"_

_The man smiles sadly at the two siblings. "Then, when this is all settled… please, tell them I'm sorry and that I love them."_

"_Godwin—"_

00:04… 00:03… 00:02…

_Rex moves something on the desk, and a trap door opens below the two Fudos. For a split second, they stare at him in shock, before gravity kicks in and they fall._

00:01… 00:00…

_They can feel the force and the heat of the explosion even as they fall._

**XXX**

_Yusei and Natsumi are on the former's Duel Runner, the latter holding on to the seat and her brother as they ride throughout the streets of New Domino. Yusei is trying to focus on the road and not cry, while Natsumi, taking full advantage of being the passenger, is silently letting the tears flow._

"_We… we're going to have to tell them… what-what happened…" Natsumi says, voice cracking._

"_I know," Yusei replies. "And if we don't make it there in time…"_

_They'll have to tell Angel that she killed her brother._

"_We'll make it," Natsumi says confidently. "We're only a minute away."_

_The two fall silent, if only for a moment. A moment, because the computer announces, _"There is an incoming video call from Father. Do you accept or deny it?"

_Yusei doesn't even wait for the CPU to stop talking, "Accept! I accept the call!"_

_The screen blinks and changes, to where the background is a fuzzy grey, and at the center is a blurry form of Dr. Fudo, running as fast as he can. It looks like he has the arm with his phone in front of him, and held relatively steady._

"_Father!" Yusei shouts. "Father, just keep running! We're almost there—we're pulling into the parking lot right now!"_

"No!"_ Dr. Fudo shouts through the call. _"No, you have to turn around! Find your friend Sherry, and get as far away from here as possible!"

"_She's hardly a friend, Father. I barely know her," Yusei says. "But why Sherry?"_

"She has one of the two keys for Divine's plan to fully work. You… you have the other."

"_I don't understand. What keys?"_

"The card, _Z-ONE_, and… the heart of Momentum."

"_The heart… of Momentum? But isn't that the Reactor?" Yusei asks._

"It… it was, before—"

_A loud sound like an explosion comes from the other end of the call, blocking out their father's words. The background is no longer blurry, because Dr. Fudo has stopped running. He slowly looks down, and both Yusei and Natsumi's eyes widen in horror when the video link reveals why._

_There is a bullet hole in his stomach area, profusely spitting out blood._

_Another miniature explosion, and a second hole appears in his chest. And Dr. Fudo falls to the floor._

_The phone crashes, and the computer abruptly turns black._

"_No!" Yusei shouts._

"_Father!" Natsumi sobs. Her face scrunches up, and more tears start falling. "Why… why him…? Why did they have to take him from us too?! FATHER!"_

_She lets go of the Duel Runner and moves to having her arms around Yusei, burrowing her head in his shoulder and just letting it all out._

**XXX**

"_Alright, something's wrong here," Natsumi comments bitterly as they walk through the hallways of MIDS. "We haven't found anyone, regardless of whether or not they're dying or already dead. There is absolutely no sign of the bastard or any of the people he brought here. So… where are all of the people?"_

"_I don't know," Yusei replies. "We should stay on our toes, though. I don't… I can't lose you too."_

"_Ditto," Natsumi agrees. "We'll find Divine and make him pay for everything! I'm sure of it!"_

_They continue walking in silence, looking in every room they pass for signs of life. All of them are practically the same—neatly packed away aside from several stray coffee cups or some papers._

_After looking in the seventh room, Natsumi perks up into 'alert mode'. "Did you hear that?"_

"_Hear what?"_

"_Footsteps. Not our own, and… following us, I think," she replies._

_They look back the way they came. Yusei frowns and shakes his head. "I don't see anyone back there. Maybe you were just—!"_

"_Yusei! Look out!" Natsumi shouts. She'd turned back around, and must have seen something, because the next thing Yusei knows is his face meeting the carpet._

"_Oof," he mutters, rolling over. "Next time, don't push me to the—Natsumi!"_

_All he can see now is the slightly curved blade, stained with red, sticking out of his little sister's chest._

_The owner of the katana slowly pulls it back, and with the leverage gone, Natsumi falls to the floor._

_The sword-wielding stranger all but forgotten, Yusei jumps to his sister's aid. He flips her over… and realizes there isn't anything he can do._

_The blade had gone through her heart._

**To be continued…**

Sky: *Slams head into the wall repeatedly* Why was I expecting something different from this…?

Me: What _were_ you expecting?

Sky: *Stops banging head* Uh… more fantasy-like deaths or something? But the mundane ones are… arguably better, I think. And what was that about the heart of Momentum?

Me: *Evil grin* You'll find out, either in the next chapter or the one after. Depends on how detailed Jack, Rua, Ruka, Mrs. Fudo (in a video), Aki, and Rudger's deaths are.

Sky: What about the other me? What about her death?

Me: Yours is the last, and comes after Divine explains everything.

Sky: Lucy's told you about it?

Me: Yeah, in a rough outline…

Sky: Great, sounds lovely…

Me: *Shrugs* It probably will be. Eh, I don't have anything else right now, so I'm just going to ask for reviews! They always make my day!


	62. Chapter 62: Parallel Tragedy, Part III

Me: Ehehe…

Sky: What's wrong with you?

Me: Uh… *Rubs back of head sheepishly* The… this chapter. It… erm… well, it's shorter than normal, but… myeh…

Sky: What did Lucy do this time?

Lucy: *From another room* It's Lucifer! You're forgetting the gender-swap!

Sky: …Okay, her choice for her guy name aside, what did sh—uh, _he_—do?

Me: You just… ah… you have to read it to see…

Sky: Fine, then start the chapter!

Me: E-Eh, alright. I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds, but I do own my OCs… As a fair warning, there are several deaths, and the ending… the ending is… Prepare to be left utterly confused.

**Chapter 62**

**Meanwhile…**

**Dusk's POV**

"…and then she woke you up," I finish. My tears of joy have long since dried up, as my brother wanted me to catch him up on everything that he'd missed. That obviously put a damper on my mood… "I can't tell you how much I regret letting Z-ONE twist our plans to something like this… For _letting_ myself get so bent on 'this is the only way', and convincing… the others of the same."

I don't even have to voice what I _really_ mean to say. _I'm sorry for not being there for your daughter, and for bringing her into all of this._

"Don't. It's not your fault." A flash of sadness enters his eyes. "If anyone needs to apologize, it's me. I'm the one who…"

"And _that_ wasn't _your_ fault," I interrupt. "I don't know how, but I know that wasn't you when _that_ happened."

An image flashes in front of my eyes, one that I've seen once before—or, I guess, twice now, since my memories are being rewritten as my past self battles Z-ONE. It's the one where Natsumi died, with the katana through her chest while Yusei had to watch.

'_So, Z-ONE is showing her the tragic events in his past right now…'_ I think. _'But that must mean that he plans to unveil his strongest monster soon…!'_ I jump up. "Yusei, my past self is in danger."

"You think we can do anything to change that?"

"Maybe. Come on." I grab a Duel Disk off the ground—mine, left behind from the mechanical wreckage of my robot form. It has my Deck in it. "I Summon _Fallen Nova Dragon_!"

My black dragon with purple wings, a remnant of my former silver-and-purple dragon, appears, stirring up a slight breeze in the otherwise calm room.

I point at the exterior wall. "_Fallen Nova Dragon_, make a hole in that wall!"

**XXX**

**Sky's POV**

I put a hand to my mouth. Having to watch his own sister die… that's horrible. And then I remember that I should expect to see his version of me to die. _'Did he have to watch hers too? God, that would be _horrible_,'_ I think. _'Wait a moment…!'_ My eyes widen. "Who killed Natsumi?" I ask.

"Who do you think?"

I bite my lower lip. "Me…"

**XXX**

"_No… No… Natsumi…"_

_He hovers near his sister's body, tears staining his cheeks and creating a small puddle where they land on the floor. What was the last thing he said to her? Something about her being mistaken? No, _he_ was the one mistaken, and now…_

"_Get up," a cold, yet familiar voice orders._

_Yusei looks up and gasps._

_Sky stands in front of him, holding the bloody katana in her right hand, pointing the tip of it at him. Her eyes, unlike Akiza and Angel's, have depth to them—though the depth is merely bloodlust and coldness. "Get up," she repeats. "Divine wants to meet with you."_

"_N… No!" Yusei shouts in reply._

"_Perhaps I should rephrase that," Sky says. "You _will _be meeting with Divine. It isn't an option not to."_

"_And if I still resist? Are you going to kill me too?"_

"_No. Unlike your father and sister, you are necessary to Divine's plans."_

_Yusei clenches his fists, "They were _your_ father and sister as well!"_

_Silence, until the katana slips out of the woman's hands and clangs against the floor. Humanity has returned to Sky's eyes, and she whimpers, "I killed them…"_

"_No, you didn't! That wasn't you! Just stay with me—ACK!"_

_Sky has him in a telekinetic grip, and she's glaring at him. The humanity is gone again. "Say one more word and you'll live, but you won't be going to Divine in one piece."_

_The younger Fudo bites his tongue, but says nothing._

_Smiling, Sky turns around and starts walking down the hallway, Yusei forcibly following behind. They approach a door—the one to the control room—and Sky waits a moment when a loud _BOOM_ comes from the other side. When it stops, she opens the door without hesitation, dragging her brother with her. "I have him, Divine."_

"_Ah, good. Tie him up over there," he replies, pointing to a metal bar between two small pillars, all on a movable platform._

"_Yes, Divine." She moves Yusei over to the bar, pulls out a piece of rope from who-knows-where, and tightly binds his hands to the metal pole._

_Once there, Yusei can finally grasp his surroundings, and he regrets it._

_There is a large blood splatter on the wall next to Divine, and on the floor beneath it is a small cloud of still-disappearing smoke… along with part of an arm, and someone's head. Rudger's._

_Divine notices where Yusei is looking, and laughs. "Oh, him? Rudger was just an easily manipulated fool. A _disposable_ fool."_

"_He was a _person_!" Yusei shouts. "You can't treat him like he doesn't matter!"_

_The auburn-haired man looks to Sky. "Shut him up, would you?"_

"_Gladly." A strip of duct tape does the job, and so all Yusei can do is make muffled grunting noises._

_Divine looks back at the collection of video screens—ones showing scenes from the Arcadia Movement Headquarters. "Yes, now all I have to do is wait for Angel or Aki to retrieve that card… and it looks like Aki is almost done dealing with those pesky friends of yours, Yusei."_

_One of the screens shows Jack, barely able to stand, staring in horror at Aki's _Black Rose Dragon_. His own _Red Dragon Archfiend_ is in a similar condition, weakened by the effects of _Thorn of Malice_._

**XXX**

"_Aki, stop! You don't need to do this!" Alice shouts, desperation in her voice and on her face. The psychic is ready to land the final attack, and that _final attack_ is going to take Jack's life with it. This is the last chance—if they can break Aki out of the mind control…! "This isn't you! You're Aki Izayoi, our best friend, not some _pawn_ of Divine's!"_

"_I'm not one of his pawns!" Aki shouts. "Divine is my _friend_! _Black Rose Dragon_, show them the full extent of your power! _Hate Rose Whip_!"_

_Overgrown thorns shoot out from under _Black Rose's_ wings, ready to strike Alice, Jack, and Rua._

_The blonde shouts, "Rua, Alice, run!"_

"_No!" Alice protests. "I… I'm not leaving you behind!"_

"_Dammit, please Alice! Just go, and don't look back!"_

_His sister merely shakes her head, still yelling, "No!"_

_One of the vines finds its target—Jack. It wraps around him like a snake, and throws him at one of the nearby walls. There is a sickening crack, and then the only sound that can be heard are Alice's screams._

_Another thorn sets itself up to strike down the mourning teenager, but Rua shouts, "I won't let you!"_

_The green-haired boy is impaled by the vine and dies instantly, still with a look of determination on his face. Determination to protect a friend who might not live much longer anyways…_

_Alice falls to her knees. "No… Jack… Rua…" Several tears fall to the ground, and a third vine is ready to strike the black-haired, violet-eyed girl. But suddenly, the vine freezes, and retracts to the rose-covered dragon._

"_What… what have I done…?" Aki asks, realization in her eyes and horror on her face._

_Alice blinks and glares at Aki. "You…! You _bitch_! You had to break free _after_ you killed my brother _and_ one of my friends!"_

"_I… I…? What?"_

**XXX**

_In the control room, Divine snarls, pressing several buttons on the keyboard in front of him. He swears when Aki doesn't respond. "Gah, and she was the most promising aside from Sky…" He shakes his head. "Well, if she's out of my control, I have no use for her. Sorry, dear Aki, but it looks like it's time for the Black Rose to wilt…"_

_He keys in some command, with Yusei shrieking a muffled protest as he does so._

**XXX**

_Aki screeches in pain, grabbing at her chest and falling to the floor. A rainbow glow surrounds her for a moment, and when it promptly vanishes, she stops making any sound at all. She doesn't even move._

_Worry crosses Alice's face. "A… Aki? Aki!" She runs to the magenta-haired woman's side, still yelling her name. "Aki, wake up! Please!"_

_The rose Duelist doesn't respond, and her eyes stare blankly at the ceiling._

"_DIVINE! WHEN I FIND OUT WHERE THE HELL YOU'RE HIDING, YOU'RE GOING TO REGRET THE DAY YOU WERE BORN!" Alice howls._

**XXX**

I put a hand to my mouth in shock. I don't know how, but I think that Akiza—er, Aki—died because of the… how did Z-ONE put it? _"Psychics are dependent on the Momentum in their hearts—remove it, and they die a painful death within minutes."_ He must have witnessed it first-hand… like that…

Before I can say anything, the scenes continue.

**XXX**

_The screen showing that particular part of the Movement goes black. Divine turns away from the array of surveillance cameras, and looks at Yusei. "Such a useful contraption, don't you think? One part brainwashes them, and the other allows me to get rid of them—even from a distance—if they break out of it. All thanks to the late Godwin brothers' inventions to manipulate Momentum."_

_Yusei simply glares at the older man, because of the duct tape over his mouth._

_Divine just laughs. "Oh, how the tables have turned! It's a shame you aren't my older brother, but a fitting medium, nonetheless! I only have to wait for Angel to get that _Z-ONE _card, and look at that! LeBlanc was stupid enough to come right to her!"_

**XXX**

_Hiding in a side room, Crow and Ruka are trying to steady their breathing. "Think we… lost her?" Ruka asks._

"_Hope so… probably not…" Crow replies._

_The door flies off its hinges and into the room. Ruka screams, and Crow just watches as his twin sister comes in, bow in hand and already loaded. But the arrow looks different from the others… this one is glowing at the tip._

_Even so, common sense kicks in, and Crow pulls Ruka behind him, protectively. "Angel, why can't you see that you're doing the wrong thing?! _We're_ the ones on your side, not that _monster_ called Divine!"_

_The orange-haired girl says nothing, aims the arrow slightly below Crow's heart, and releases it. Crow holds his breath and closes his eyes, waiting for his own doom… but nothing happens. To him, anyways._

_Ruka shrieks in pain._

"_What the…? Ruka!" The arrow had _passed through him_, and for some reason hit her instead!_

_In front of his own eyes, he watches as a faint glow surrounds Ruka, before vanishing—along with the girl's screams._

"_It… it can't be…! Ruka!" Crow shouts, shaking her body. "Now isn't the time to play dead! RUKA!"_

_While he continues trying to make the dead girl wake up, Angel notches another arrow, a normal one this time, and aims it at Crow. Suddenly someone crashes into her, knocking the bow out of her hand._

_Sherry pins Angel to the floor, looking over to Crow and Ruka. She flinches, muttering something in French. Likely profanity. "I am sorry, Crow! I came too late to help your friend!"_

_Crow looks up, tears in his eyes as he gently puts Ruka down. He looks at his sister, who is thrashing around underneath the Frenchwoman. "I…" he swallows, "it's not your fault. It's not… Angel's either. It's… Divine's, for controlling her."_

"_GET OFF OF ME!" Angel shouts, managing to _launch_ Sherry off her back, sending the blonde woman into the nearby wall. Then she stands up, dusting herself off. She glares at her brother, "You're wrong, Crow. It's not Divine's fault. It's your own, for standing in his way!"_

_**XXX**_

_The screen goes fuzzy for a few moments, and when it returns to normal, both Crow and Sherry are dead—both of them practically torn in two. Yusei isn't even crying anymore, though each time he sees one of his friends dead hurts just as much._

_After a flash of light, Angel appears in the room. She holds up the _Z-ONE_ Spell. "This is what you wanted, right Divine?"_

"_Yes, good job Angel," he replies, stretching out an arm to accept it._

_Angel smirks, "Now!"_

_A smoke ball goes off, and both Divine and Sky start coughing. _

_All of a sudden, Yusei's hands are free, and the tape removed from his mouth. He looks to his rescuer—and gasps. "Crow? But you… I thought…!"_

"_Illusion," the ginger replies. "See? Still in one piece."_

"_Then… Ruka?"_

_Crow's grey eyes flash with sadness. "No… that part wasn't a trick…"_

_The smoke clears away, and Sherry—also not dead—has Divine in handcuffs. Angel has one of her monsters—_Daigusto Sphreez_—trapping Sky._

_Divine snarls, "A clever trick, but pointless…!"_

"_Pointless? We just stopped your plans, unless you're suddenly blind," Angel laughs in response. _

_Divine starts laughing instead. "Oh, but I _have_ won! The gate to the Netherworld lies on the witches' isle!"_

_Angel shouts, grabbing her head. A shadowy aura surrounds her, and one also surrounds Sky. A strong wind starts up inside the room._

"_You've been doomed to lose from the beginning!" Divine cackles._

_Angel collapses, but Sky remains standing. She frees herself from the disappearing form of _Daigusto Sphreez_, and plays _Celestial Dragon-Quasar_ and _Celestial Knight-Star_. The silver-and-purple dragon grabs Crow and Yusei, while the silver-armored knight points a dagger at Sherry. "Should I kill them, Master?"_

"_No," Divine says. "They can watch my plans unfold—then you can kill them. Tie them up, and make sure you get that card."_

"_Yes, Master." _

"_Sky, stop this!" Crow shouts._

"_You broke free twice, Sky! Please, do it again! Can't you see he's evil?" Yusei adds._

_Sky doesn't reply as she follows Divine's order of binding the three of them—Yusei back to the metal pole, and Crow and Sherry to each of the pillars. Then she frees Divine from his handcuffs._

_The man rubs his wrists. "That's better. The card?"_

_Sky retrieves it from the unconscious Angel's hand, and hands it to him._

"_Why do you need my card?" Sherry asks. "Yes, there is only one in existence, but the same can be said for many others! What makes it so special?"_

_The auburn-haired man smirks. "I'd say ask the late Doctor Fudo, but since I'm leaving you alive for now, I guess that isn't possible." He shrugs. "You see, he was the one who created Momentum, and the Reactor. The Godwin brothers had to run their experiments behind his back. One day, his lovely wife caught wind of it all—and she was going to report them! I couldn't just let that happen, now, could I? So I had her killed. Unfortunately, Sky could remember the event in full detail—though she thought it was a nightmare. Dr. Fudo knew better, and ended up creating a second security lock, known only by him. It just so happens that _Z-ONE_ is that key."_

"_What's the first, then?" Yusei asks._

_Divine looks at him now, his smirk growing to a maniacal grin. "Isn't it obvious? It's you, Yusei! You, who carries the heart of Momentum inside of your own!"_

_The entire room goes silent, aside from the whir of electronics. Disbelief resides all over Yusei and his two friends._

"_Oh, you never knew, did you? Well, allow me to enlighten you!" Divine pulls out a manilla folder from who-knows where, and opens it. "'We had a pregnant patient brought in today at 12:27 p.m. She'd been assaulted while on a midday walk. My team tried an emergency C-section, but the baby—a boy—didn't make it. It's a shame, the boy was so close to his due date. I hope the fiend who did this is caught.'"_

"_What does… that have anything to do with me?" Yusei asks._

"_Because the patient admitted for assault was your mother… and the child was you."_

**To be continued…**

Me: Before you say anything, remember I said 'prepare to be left utterly confused'.

Sky: *Making incomprehensible squeaking noises*

Me: …Alright, that was actually what I was expecting from you. The squeaking noises, anyways. I kinda expected you to hit me… or make some sort of death threat… or both…

Sky: You… that… What the heck made Lucy come up with that idea and decide to leave it right there with a stinking cliffhanger as _big as that one_?!

Me: *Shrugs* What can I say? Actually, the original ending was going to be when Divine said that Yusei was the first key…

Sky: I would have _really_ preferred that one. This one is… eh…!

Me: Yeah. I know. Well, I can't exactly do much so… leave a review, please! If you do, I might tell you a little bit in explanation to the last line.


	63. Chapter 63: Parallel Tragedy, Part IV

Me: Hah, looks like I'm updating Blue Sky now!

Sky: Wait, how can you? You need Lucy, er, Lucifer, don't you?

Me: *Grins, and holds up a stack of papers* He sent 'em to me.

Sky: Dang it… I was hoping his chase for… whatever character they're trying to find for Shimmer would be distracting enough.

Me: Never underestimate my muses' powers of multitasking.

Sky: *Grumbles*

Me: Well… alright then! I'll start the chapter! I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds, but I do own my OCs. I hope you enjoy… although as a fair warning, there might be some OOC (namely Crow and Yusei, after… the video (you'll know what that is soon)), and there are two death scenes as well. :)

**Chapter ****63**

The screen freezes, and I stare at it. What. The. Heck. Just. Happened? "How the… why the…?" I stop, take a deep breath and calm myself, because I'm getting frustrated that I can't figure out how to word my question.

"But you're not dead," I eventually say. "Why would Divine say that _you_ were the child that died?"

"Because I did," Z-ONE replies. "This is where it gets complicated…" Now he stares at the screen that was showing me his past. It starts up again.

**XXX**

_The gears are practically visible, turning in Yusei's mind as he comprehends the statement. "But… but I'm… I'm not dead…"_

"_Yes, I can see that," Divine replies, sarcasm dripping in his voice. "See, this is where the complicated part comes in. Actually, the full version of what happened is_ too _complicated for me to explain, so I'll give you a summary of what happened. What your father did."_

"_What… what my father did?" Yusei asks._

_Divine's grin turns into a smirk. "What, you thought that Rudger was the only scientist here that was working on experiments of questionably ethics?"_

"_My father is—" Yusei flinches, and corrects, "_was_ a good man! There's no way he would do something that might involve hurting or even _killing_ someone!"_

_The auburn-haired main purses his lips, and nods. "That _is_ the truth… but to be of questionable ethics doesn't necessarily mean hurting another human." Now, he shakes his head. "No, what your father was doing was trying to see if he could bring the dead back to life… with Momentum."_

"_He… what?"_

"_Up until the moment he tested it with you, it had all been a theory; information gathered but no physical evidence that it could work," Divine continues. "And then, when the assault caused your death, he had the perfect test subject."_

"_And it worked… obviously, or else I wouldn't be here," Yusei says. "But what, exactly, was he testing?"_

"_He was testing the machine you're currently attached to," Divine replies._

"_That's not a machine, that's two poles connected by a bar," Crow says._

"_Are you so sure about that?" Divine presses several buttons on his keyboard, stops, mutters something to himself, and types in whatever the password is._

_The two poles morph, becoming wider, and three rings come out of each, resting at the top of the two poles. The rings radiate energy._

"_This is what he used to bring you back," Divine says, "but it can also be used to take away what you were given."_

"_How do you know about all of this?" Yusei asks._

"_Because I was here, during that first test," the man replies. "The connection between Momentum and Psychic Duelists had already been made, and they needed me in case the machine didn't work."_

_Yusei is silent for a moment, and then he says, "Why would you help my father?"_

"_Let's just say… I owed him a debt."_

_Crow lets out a short laugh. "_You_, owing someone _else_ a debt?"_

_Divine glares at the orange-haired teen. "Say one more word, boy, and I'll kill you myself—and it will be long and painful."_

_Crow shuts up immediately._

_Turning back to Yusei, Divine says, "Yes, I owed your father a debt, and it did come into play that day. The machine didn't transfer enough Momentum, so I had to assist. When I tried to," he chuckles a little, "I unwittingly bonded your heart to that of Momentum's. Now that I look back, I think that's the only reason the process actually managed to bring you back to life."_

_More silence as Yusei processes the new information. It certainly would explain why, standing (or crouching) here, face-to-face with the reactor makes him feel… energized, in some way. "I'm… bonded… to Momentum…" he says slowly. "So… if you do this… if you use the machine to take _back_ that bond…"_

"_You will, undoubtedly, die," Divine answers. "Almost exactly like Aki and Ruka, only yours will be… quicker."_

_He hangs his head. There isn't anything he can do to stop Divine from doing this. Not when he's tied to the machine, and tightly—he can barely move his hands anymore. Not when Crow and Sherry are also tied up. And certainly not when his older sister remains under Divine's control…_

_But if she were freed…_

'How to do that, though?'_ Yusei thinks, still hanging his head._

_Sky had broken free already, right when he mentioned their father and sister… What if their mother was mentioned? Could it… possibly…_

"_If… if you're going to kill me anyways…" Yusei says to his captor, "please… Show me what happened to my mother."_

"_Fair enough," the psychic replies. "After all, finding out what happened to her _was_ what pulled you into this in the first place." He keys in a string of words, and one of the screens he had tuned into Arcadia HQ fuzzes out. It returns, in full color, to the inside of a hallway._

**XXX**

_The wallpaper is familiar to Yusei—a pale pink with flower designs along the middle. It lines the hallway that led to his sisters' rooms, back before the fire. Whoever is carrying the camera that is recording this gets closer to one of the doors, and enters it without knocking._

_Sky and Ayame Fudo are the only two occupants other than the camera holder. The twelve-year-old Sky's skin is pale and clammy, and her eyes are a little bit dull. Ayame sits on a chair next to the bed, her brown hair pulled out of her eyes, as she reads a story to her daughter._

"_Mommy, who's that?" Sky asks. Her gaze was clearly on the camera holder._

_The woman pats her daughter's head, thinking she's only hallucinating. "Just rest, Sky. There's nothing wrong."_

"_Who _is_ it?" Sky repeats._

_Ayame sighs, but turns around. She lets out a gasp of surprise when she realizes Sky wasn't hallucinating, but alarm quickly turns to simple confusion. "Rex? What are you doing here? …Actually, did you even knock?"_

"_No, I didn't," Rex Godwin's voice echoes. "He knows."_

_No context is necessary. Those two words are enough to return the alarm to the woman's face. "Are… are you sure?"_

"_I'm sure." There is the sound of clothing shifting, and something metal being removed from a cloth bag._

"_Is that… Is that one of your brother's machines?" the brown-haired, golden-eyed woman asks. She narrows her eyes at something off-screen. "My goodness, is that the portable mind control device? Why would you need it… and here, for that matter?"_

_There is silence for a few seconds. Then, Rex's voice answers, "I'm sorry, Ayame. I…" He stops talking, and several mechanical clicks resonate in the small room._

_Sky stiffens in the bed. She throws the blanket off of her, and gets off of it. Her eyes are even more dull now, and she stares blankly at Godwin._

_Ayame looks at her daughter with horror, then back to Rex. "What are you doing to my daughter?!"_

"_Sky, pick up your Duel Disk," Rex says, ignoring Ayame. The girl complies, and he adds, "Now Summon _Celestial Dragon-Quasar_."_

_The silver-and-purple dragon appears, sized down slightly because of the size of the room. Although the dragon's expression is different than normal. Her eyes are blank, yet at the same time, there's a level of sorrow under the emptiness._

_Ayame puts a hand to her mouth. She knows what is going to happen. "Rex… please, you can't seriously think he'll live up to his offer of leaving your family alone. Not with… not with Angel possibly having abilities."_

"_But if I don't do this, he'll kill Miyuki and my children… make me watch… and then get rid of me," Godwin says. "I'm sorry, Ayame. I have to do this."_

"_No, Rex, you don't! We can change this, we can still stop him together—"_

"_I'll make sure he doesn't harm your family," he interrupts. The camera angle changes slightly as he shifts his weight. "Sky, have _Celestial Dragon-Quasar _attack that woman."_

'_That woman'. About as impersonal as he could make it while still making it sound like Ayame was human._

_Without making any noise, Sky points at her mother. Her eyes retain the dead look as her dragon prepares the attack. A silver ball of flames shoots from the dragon's mouth, and hits Ayame square in the chest. The woman screams, and the video cuts out just as the bedroom curtain catches fire…_

_But the scream echoes still, even without images._

**XXX**

_His breath catches in his throat. Sure, Yusei had known that Rex was there when his mother died. He hadn't… he certainly hadn't expected Rex to have actually commanded Sky to kill Ayame._

"_You know how your mother died. Happy now?" Divine asks Yusei._

_Yusei says nothing. He looks at his older sister, whose back is turned towards him, but he can see that she's quivering. "Sky…" he whispers._

"_Hmph. Enough stalling. It's time for me to extract the key," Divine says._

_He moves his hand over a blue button on the control panel next to him. Right before he presses it, Sky shouts, "Wait! Yusei… Yusei doesn't have the key! I do!"_

_Divine's hand freezes, and he pulls it back, curling his fingers as he does so. He snaps his head in Sky's direction. "What?"_

"_I… I remember everything. I remember what happened during the fire…" Sky says, in a weak voice. "There… there was so much smoke and… and it was so hot… Everything went dark, but… but then… I could see… a light. It was a small orb of Momentum. I remember… crawling towards it… reaching out… taking it as my own… and then the next thing I know, I'm waking up in the hospital."_

"_Impossible!" Divine snarls. "If you had taken it, then Yusei would be dead! How do you even _know_ that it was the key that you took?"_

"_I didn't know it was the key until just now," Sky replies, her voice no longer weak but confident. "But… I remember sensing some sort of shift in Yusei's energy after the fire. It was the key. I know it was. And just because I took the key doesn't mean I severed the bond that keeps him alive."_

"_Then… then… I'll take it from you myself!" Divine shouts, lunging at Sky._

"_No!" Yusei screams. He can't lose Sky, the only living family he has left…_

_Sky smiles, and sidesteps the man. "_Quasar_! Catch him!"_

_The silver dragon grabs the man with both of her hands, lifting him off the ground. "Ngh…! Put me down!" he shouts._

"_No. Not until you've paid for everything you've done," Sky replies. She walks over to the machine Sherry, Crow, and Yusei are tied to and frees them from their bonds, apologizing as she does so._

_As soon as he regains feeling in his arms, Yusei throws them around his older sister. "I'm so glad you're free now," he mumbles into her shoulder._

_Sky pats the back of his head. "If only it could have happened sooner…" she says quietly. "But we can't change the past, and right now, we have to deal with Divine. We can grieve later."_

"_Right." He lets go of Sky, and faces Divine. The man glares at all of them, but says nothing._

"_Not so tough now that the tables have turned, huh?" Crow asks. An idea crosses his mind, "Maybe I should do what you said… What was it again? 'I'll kill you myself—and it will be long and painful'? Something like that." He turns to the others. "Wouldn't that be a fitting punishment?"_

"_It would… but…" Sky shakes her head. "No. Even with everything that he's done to us, we don't have the right to kill him."_

_There is a moment of tension in the room as Sherry agrees with Crow's question as Crow and Sky have a short staredown, until Yusei breaks it apart by saying, "There are other ways to make someone suffer that don't involve killing them."_

"_Heh."_

_The group turns to Divine, still trapped in the silver dragon's grasp. He's laughing now, and says, "Haven't you ever heard the saying 'Don't count your chickens before they hatch'?"_

"_What can you do? You're trapped _and_ outnumbered," Yusei asks._

"_No. I'm evenly matched—Sky is the only one who poses a threat to me." Another short laugh, and he shouts, "_Hyper Psychic Blaster_!"_

_A bright flash of light fills the room, along with a woman's scream. When the occupants can see again, _Celestial Dragon-Quasar_ is gone, Divine is grinning evilly, and _Hyper Psychic Blaster_ hovers behind him, shooting off a continuous beam of green electricity from one of its arms, with the other trained on Yusei._

_Sky's screams fade to nothing, and the attack is called off. The golden-haired woman falls, unmoving, to the ground._

_Disbelief and worry set into Yusei's gut, creating an extremely unpleasant feeling inside of him. "Sky…?" He moves to see if she's okay, but Crow gets there first._

_The orange-haired teen sticks two fingers to Sky's throat, looks at Yusei, and nods. "She's alive, but she needs a doctor."_

_After all, who else would know how much damage that electricity caused?_

_Yusei heaves a sigh of relief before spinning around to face Divine._

He_ was the cause of all his misery. His parents' and younger sister's deaths, the loss of his house when he was younger, and the near-loss of the only family he has left. Curling his hands into fists, Yusei declares, "Divine! I challenge you to a Duel!"_

**XXX**

The scene freezes, and I stare at it for a moment before looking at Z-ONE. "There's no way Divine would accept that. Not when he has the upper hand."

"That was his first response, actually, until Angel regained consciousness and, once again, leveled the playing field," Z-ONE replies. "Then he accepted it, once I added an ultimatum: if I won, Divine would be punished, while if he won, he would be allowed to fulfill his goal—take the first key from my sister and finish whatever he had started."

"Seems fair," I say. "Although… what _was_ Divine trying to do? Up until now, I've only heard explanations on the reasons for and the means to do whatever Divine is trying to do… but not what he wants to do with Momentum."

Anger flashes across Z-ONE's face. "Power."

"What?"

"He. Wanted. Power." The anger blossoms into fury. "All he wanted from it all was _power_! Power to control everyone else, like some clichéd villain from a book or movie!"

"That… sounds like something he would do," I say with complete honesty. Sure, I don't know how well Divine and Sayer compare, and I don't really know Sayer aside from the fact that he tried to kill me at least twice, but from everything I've seen so far, the two are pretty good parallels—other than Divine being a tad more sadistic.

Just a tad.

"Who won?" I ask, almost certain that Z-ONE won't show me the Duel.

"I did," he replies. "We had a deal… and he broke it."

**XXX**

_Divine has no monsters on his field. No cards face-down. One card in his hand, but it's only _Krebons_. The auburn-haired, olive-green-eyed man is panting slightly, looking at Yusei with a mixture of fury and disbelief._

_Yusei, while bleeding from several cuts on his torso sustained during the Duel, has one monster on the field. _Stardust Dragon_ flaps his wings, sending glittering particles to the floor. The crab-haired teen points at Divine, declaring, "This is for what you did to my family and my friends! _Stardust Dragon_, attack him directly and end this Duel!"_

_The stream of silverish energy bursts from the dragon's mouth with so much force it would kill Divine in an instant, had Yusei been Psychic. Instead, the Solid Vision just knocks the psychopath to his rear._

_**Divine's Life Points: 0. Winner: Yusei Fudo**_

"_Gah, this isn't… this isn't over! Damn you! All of you!" Divine shouts, standing up off the floor, back pressed against the wall._

"_Yeah, Yusei! That's how you show him!" Crow exclaims, slamming a hand onto his friends back. He grins at Yusei._

"_I knew you could do it…" Sky says weakly, leaning on Angel for support. Her skin is pale, and her eyes don't seem very focused on anything, but that's fine with Yusei because she's at least still alive._

"_You have done _NOTHING_!" Divine roars, shoving Sherry (who had been going after him with handcuffs again) aside, and grabbing Sky off of her position on Angel. Sometime while running, a knife ended up in his hand, and he digs said knife against the golden-haired woman's throat. _

_Sky, powerless to do anything, leans back, eyes wide, tears welling up in her eyes because the knife is pressed so hard against her throat it's drawing blood. She makes a small noise, and Divine presses the dagger down even harder._

"_She was lying! That story about taking the key from you was a _lie_!" Divine exclaims wildly._

_Yusei blinks and looks away. He'd figured as much, since Sky had been fidgeting while she told them about that. It was a nervous habit she'd picked up somehow, and became a sign of her trying to lie. Divine just didn't know it at the time._

"_Let her go!" Yusei says forcefully. "Let… let her go and I'll let you use the machine on me. I won't struggle."_

"_You can't mean that, Yus'!" Crow shouts, staring at his friend in horror._

_Yusei looks at Crow. "I can't let him kill my sister. And if this is what it takes…"_

_Sky makes another noise, and the word 'sorry' is barely audible. Strain appears on her face, and for a moment, Yusei is confused because what can she do in her position that requires so much effort? As soon as he realizes it, he lunges for the knife._

_It's too late. Sky elbows Divine as hard as she can in the gut. Taken aback by the hit, Divine stumbles backwards, releasing Sky. However, his grip on the dagger had stayed firm the entire time. And he had been pressing it so hard against the elder Fudo sibling's neck. As he stumbles backwards, a clean, deep gash appears along Sky's neck, from the middle of her throat all the way to nearly her spine._

_She falls to the floor, one hand on her throat, and the other reaching out, all while choking on her own blood._

_There is no way she'll survive that. Not with the cut as deep as it is. And it just happens to be the longer way to die because of a slit throat… Choking on her own blood…_

"_SKY!" Yusei screeches, falling to his knees and grabbing the outstretched arm. He pulls Sky closer to him, eyes falling to the mortal wound. "I…"_

_Sky weakly pulls the arm he has away from him and presses two fingers to his lips, shaking her head. Then she smiles sadly._

_ He has no idea what to do. Is there a way to stop this? There has to be; some people survive getting their throat cut… She can't… She_ won't_ die._

_A moment—whether it's five seconds or five minutes, Yusei can't tell, because it just felt like time had stopped—later, she does. She makes one last, struggled breath, eyes locked with Yusei's… and a smile—a freaking _smile _appears on her face, hand gripping Yusei's as though to portray the fact that she didn't really want to leave him, but accepted her imminent death._

_He just stares. No one makes a sound, other than a half-muffled, half-screamed cry of anguish that somehow escapes the back of Yusei's throat. "No… no… you stupid… selfish…!" His spine contracts, and his entire upper body jerks downward. "COME BACK! PLEASE! I NEED YOU, SKY!"_

_He thought he'd used up any and all tears he could produce when he had watched over half of his friends die, but he was wrong, because a steady flow of them now streams from his eyes as his body racked with sobs._

_Time becomes a nonexistent property to Yusei as he sits there, holding his dead sister tight, crying his eyes out. He has no grasp on reality until someone grabs him by the shoulders and peels him up off the ground. With his vision blurry, and thinking it's Divine who just picked him up, Yusei whips around furiously, striking whoever had picked him up._

_Someone grunts in pain, and Yusei blinks away the blurriness until he realizes that Crow is now rubbing his arm. "Wha…? Sorry, Crow…" Voice raw, Yusei says nothing else._

"_It's fine, but we need to get the hell out of here," Crow says. "Now."_

_Yusei finally registers the frantic beeping from the reactor's control panel. A quick glance confirms his suspicions—the energy readings have spiked to dangerous levels, and they look to still be rising. If it keeps up, the entire thing could blow up, and being right next to it if it does would mean instant death._

_A piece of him says to stay; if the reactor _does_ blow, he would be able to join his family. But the conscious, stronger side of him says to go; live on for them. "Right." Looks like it'll be one-word sentences for now. Anything else makes his throat hurt._

_Unfortunately, someone grabs Yusei from behind, and because he isn't balanced well at all, he has no leverage to fight back until whoever has him is pressing hard on a pressure point and by that point… It's too late to do anything._

_The pressure point shoots spikes of pain everywhere; so much that Yusei can hardly concentrate._

_He hears Crow shout something in a rage, and Angel add something to it, but not exactly what either twin says. Probably trying to get Divine to let go of him, but the man doesn't listen… Possibly replying with the clich__éd, __"if I go down, someone else will with me" line. Yusei isn't sure._

_The only thing he's sure of, other than the pain spikes from the blasted pressure point, is that the warning beeps from the control panel has transformed into a siren; a warning wail that shouldn't be ignored._

'If I'm bonded to Momentum, then maybe the explosion won't kill me,' _Yusei thinks. _'But, it will certainly kill Angel, Crow, and Sherry if they're close when it it goes off…'_ He summons whatever strength he has in him, and bellows, "Go! I'll be fine!"_

_In his spotty vision, he can make out his friends (and acquaintance), their outlines standing still for a moment, before one of the ones with orange hair (he can't tell the difference at this point), grabs the other two, and they start running away._

_The world spins, and Yusei again has no idea how much time passes._

_When he is aware of his surroundings once more, he quickly wishes he'd stayed half-unconscious._

_The siren stops, glass shatters, and everything around Yusei is suddenly hot, an unbearable cocoon of pure energy._

_And then everything goes cold, and he's falling, plunging, flying, diving, collapsing, maybe dying, falling…_

_A Duel Monsters card flutters in front of his face. _Z-ONE… Z-ONE… Z-ONE…

_Falling…_

**To be continued…**

Me: And that's it.

Sky: *Stares blankly at the wall*

Me: …Sky?

Sky: *Says nothing*

Me: …Crap. I think I just traumatized my main OC.

Aurelia: *Appears* Meany! You killed Meema!

Me: No, _Lucifer_ did, and it's a version of her from a different dimension.

Aurelia: *Sticks tongue out* Meany!

Me: Okay… Uhm… Sorry…?

Aurelia: Don't do it again.

Me: But I still have… Dusk… *Sigh* Just leave it alone, or I'll through you in the Closet of Doom.

Aurelia: *Crosses arms* Alwight…

Me: Good. ANYWAYS, thanks for reading this story! I really appreciate the fact that so many people have read this (the story has over 20,000 views, if anyone cares to know), and that so many people have reviewed, favorited, and followed it. Please, keep supporting me and leave a review! I don't care if you say you hate this story, if I can tell what the problem is, I'll try to fix it. Bye for now!


	64. Chapter 64: Ain Soph Ohr

Me: Huh, looks like you're getting Blue Sky again…

Sky: *Still completely silent*

Me: *Looks at Sky* What, are you _still_ trying to comprehend what happened last chapter?

Sky: *Blinks* WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH YOUR MUSE?

Me: Finally, an answer… Uhm, everything. Everything is wrong with Lucifer.

Shade: And me. And muse-Jack. And Shimmering-Sky.

Sky: You're all insane!

Me and Shade: Thank you!

Sky: *Facepalm* That wasn't a compliment…

Me: Oh well. I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds, but I do own my OCs… Enjoy?

**Chapter 64**

It's a struggle to keep the contents of my stomach down. It's not everyday you watch yourself—even if it's the you from another dimension—die. Sure, I saw myself die in the diner, but that was much different because she became a Dark Signer, and I didn't see her body.

This time… the knife, the cut, the blood… the choking… This time it was so much more personal, I can totally imagine what Z-ONE felt watching her life fade away… and in his arms, too…

Not only that, but what happened directly after her death is horrible too. It's also confusing, because if the reactor there exploded, shouldn't Z-ONE be dead? He was right next to it, just like… Just like my mother and Roman were, during Zero Reverse, and look where that got them!

"I can tell what you're thinking," Z-ONE says. "You're wondering why I'm even alive, if I was there during the explosion. The answer to that is… Momentum didn't kill me. In fact, exposure to it doesn't kill someone—it teleports them to another dimension, and _that_ is how someone can possibly die. It depends on what world you are transported to."

That makes sense, considering the fact that Dusk told me about Zero Reverse teleporting and trapping some people in the Netherworld. Slowly, I nod. "Okay, that much I can understand. But… I still don't understand why you changed your name, and why you wear that mask… and why, if Dusk's magic prevents aging, you appear as old as you do."

He remains silent for a moment, before he says, "That magic works in two ways. It keeps them from aging, and it keeps them from dying. But for me, only the second applies."

"But… why?"

"Because I'm not from this world! Why else?" Fury enters his eye, and he adds, "I can't die, yet I age like a normal human! Not only that, but… You remember, how I made the comment about me being a fish out of water, correct?"

I nod.

"That's because I don't belong here. My body wants to return to my world, but it needs the Momentum that the clash of Arc Cradle and Neo Domino will release to do so. Some days are better than others—I can go months without feeling anything—but regardless of what I do, the continuous ache will not go away!"

"Certainly there's another way!" I reply.

Z-ONE closes his eye. "The only other possible way was Zero Reverse… and it didn't work. There wasn't enough energy, and I nearly scared the others to death, so to speak."

At that response, I shut up. I have no argument left. If Zero Reverse wasn't strong enough to send him back…

"Hmph, no response? Ah well, it wasn't like I was expecting one, since I just effectively shut down your argument," Z-ONE muses to himself. He shakes his head, returning his gaze to me. "I answered one of your questions. The other two will be answered in the next few looks into my memories…"

**XXX**

_The scenery changes to that of the ruined Neo Domino. Footsteps across the pavement and debris can be heard, along with a young male's voice complaining, "Sky, we've been looking around for hours and haven't found anyone. Maybe it was just debris shifting around that you heard!"_

"_No Lester, I'm absolutely certain I heard someone," Sky replies._

_The scene now shows the two people walking down the remnants of a street, kicking aside old cans and other such objects as they walk. Lester is clearly exhausted, but Sky still seems full of energy._

_They pass an alley without looking down it, but then Sky stops, jerking her head back to the alley's entrance. Her mismatched eyes are full of alertness, and it looks like she's perked her ears. "There! There's someone in there!"_

_The maroon-haired boy rolls his eyes and sighs, turning around to follow the woman that darted into the alley. He jumps over a fallen piece of the building that's almost as tall as he is, and looks at what Sky's found._

_Two bodies, clearly human. Not decomposed at all, but their skin is covered in severe burns. One of them isn't recognizable at all, but the other, the one that Sky is focusing on, looks almost like Yusei. This one has his eye open—dark blue, just like Lester remembers Yusei having, and amidst the burns, he can make out an identical Criminal Mark…_

"_Seriously? All that walking for two dead bodies?!" he screams in frustration._

"_No, that one's dead," Sky replies, pointing to the unrecognizable one. "I don't know how, but this one isn't." She waves her hand in front of the second's face. The eye moves slightly, and then closes. Now Lester can see that his chest is slowly rising and falling—a sure sign of life._

"_Okay, you found a person who is almost dead. What are we supposed to do?"_

"_Isn't it obvious? He needs medical attention."_

"_None of us are doctors."_

"_Well, I might not be _qualified_ to be one, but… Before her… death, Akiza taught me as much as she could," Sky replies. "Come on. Help me carry this young man back to the hideout. If we wait, the injuries might get worse, and then we'll have a horribly disfigured and practically useless person to care for."_

**XXX**

_He opens his eyes, and everything seems distorted and unfamiliar. He can't move much, except for his left arm, and he pulls it in front of his face. It's covered in bandages he can feel on most of his body, and realizes that he only actually opened one eye—the entire right side of his face is covered in bandages._

"_Ah! You can move!" a female voice exclaims. It's young, and not familiar at all._

_Although, what should be familiar? His mind is a complete blur that won't focus. He has no idea how he ended up like this… no idea who his friends are… no idea what his own name is…_

"_Aunt Sky! The stranger's awake and moving!" the same voice shouts._

_The door opens, and another feminine voice says, "Thank you, Hana. Why don't you go play with Aurelia now?"_

"_Sure thing!"_

_He still can't move his head to see who else is in the room, but someone's head appears in his vision. A woman with golden hair streaked with silver, and eyes that don't match. One gold, and one blue. He feels like he should know who this woman is…_

"_Well, I'm glad you're awake now," the woman says. "For a while, I didn't know if I found you in time."_

_In time… for what?_

"_Can you speak?" the woman asks._

_He tries to, and while his lips and tongue can move to shape words, no sound comes out. It also hurts to do so._

"_Alright, I'll take that as a no." She taps her finger on her own mouth a few times, looking at the wall. Then she nods, and looks back at him. "Alright, I'm going to ask you some questions. Blink once for yes, and twice for no. Do you understand?"_

_He blinks once._

"_Good. Are you in pain? Anywhere, at all?"_

_One blink. The right side of his face stings, and everything else just aches._

"_That's to be expected, since the pain medicine should have worn off…" she trails off. "Do you remember how you were injured?"_

_Two blinks. But that might lead to another line of remembering questions, wouldn't it? He tries to speak again, and this time succeeds. "Can't… remember… anything…"_

_Recognition flashes in the woman's eyes for a moment, replaced by confusion, and then the neutral expression returns. "Not even your own name?"_

'No,'_ he thinks, but his mouth says, "Z-ONE."_

_Z-ONE? Is that really his name? It sounds… overwhelmingly familiar. Maybe that _is_ his name. It would explain why he said it on impulse._

"_Z-ONE, huh? Interesting name," the woman says. "Mine is Sky."_

_Sky…? That makes the woman even more familiar, but the blur of his mind refuses to make anything clear._

"_Eye," he says._

"_Huh?"_

_He moves his left hand to his face and touches the bandages._

"_Oh!" Her facial expression turns to realization for a moment, and then she looks down, fiddling with the bottom of her shirt. "Uhm… I don't… I don't know how to say this, but… When I found you, you were barely clinging to life. I tried my best to help—as much as you can get now—but it… wasn't enough. The rest of your body should heal, but the right side of your face will definitely remain scarred and… and you'll never be able to see out of that eye again."_

**XXX**

"Wait… you had amnesia when you were found?" I ask.

"I did. Obviously, my memory came back, or else I would be fighting for the same reason the others were," he replies. "Dusk was there when it did… but that is irrelevant right now."

"Okay…" I stop talking, letting all of the information I've received sink in.

Z-ONE is actually Yusei from another dimension. Divine, the version of Sayer from that dimension, launched a plan that resulted in Z-ONE's family and most of his friends dying. Then, Momentum exploded, launching Divine and Z-ONE into this world, Divine dying in the process. My future self found Z-ONE, still alive, and saved him, but couldn't save his right eye. That explains the mask.

Dang, and I thought _Dusk's_ backstory was horrible. Z-ONE's is… pretty much on a whole new level. Especially since he basically had to live through watching everyone he cared about die three times—when it happened, when he remembered it, and just now, when he showed me.

I don't agree with his plan, but it makes so much more sense about why he would be willing to kill thousands—no, _millions_—of innocent people and not feel remorse in the slightest.

It takes me several moments to recognize the change in surroundings. I'm back in Neo Domino, back on Yusei's Duel Runner, back in the Duel with Z-ONE… and only a few feet away from flying into a building. I don't even have time to stop. I try to turn, but I know it won't move fast enough—

_Crimson Star Fairy _flies in between me and the building and, despite being small, catches me and puts me back on the right track. A sigh of relief escapes my lips. That was close… _too_ close.

I look around and quickly spot Z-ONE, steering Yusei's Duel Runner in his direction. It looks like it's time for the Duel to continue.

"As you should remember, it's still my turn—and it's still the Battle Phase," Z-ONE says. "_Temporal Machine God Zadion_, attack _Crimson Star Fairy_!"

The monster with my face stretches out an arm, and a powerful tornado spirals out of it, towards my fairy. The fairy creates a small red barrier around her and survives the attack. The tornado then turns into a gentle breeze, and suddenly…

**Z-ONE's Life Points: 4000**

"Wha…? Hey, what gives?" I shout.

"When _Zadion_ attacks, at the end of the damage step, my Life Points return to 4000 if they were lower than it," Z-ONE explains. "I end my turn, but just so you know, this is the last one you will have in this Duel."

I narrow my eyes at him. I really don't like it when people predict their victory—it hardly ever comes true, anyways—but with Z-ONE's monsters… I'm sure there is some grain of truth to that statement. _'Well… I better make this turn count, then,'_ I think. "It's my turn! Draw!"

**Z-ONE S.C. 1, Sky S.C. 10**

Staring at my hand, I sigh. _'What should I do? I can use ten Speed Counters and try to destroy that _Infinite Machine Ain Soph_, but he might have _another_ upgrade as that face-down card…' _My hand doesn't help either, because the cards I have only help stall some more. "I… I activate the effect of _Speed World 2_! I remove… 7 Speed Counters to draw one card!"

**Sky S.C. 3**

My hand hovers over my Deck for a moment before it grabs the card and pulls it out. I look at it. Still nothing to get me out of this predicament… "I set two cards face-down and end my turn."

"That's it?" Z-ONE asks.

"Yes," I say, slightly annoyed. "I have nothing left to play."

"Heh." He chuckles a little, "I told you it was your last turn, and you waste it with two face-down cards. Very well… it's time to end this! My move!"

**Z-ONE S.C. 2, Sky S.C. 4**

His monsters vanish, and even though there is only one card left in his hand, Z-ONE seems confident in his prediction. "I destroy _Infinite Machine Ain Soph_ in order to activate my third and final Continuous Trap _Infinite Light Ain Soph Ohr_!"

The two connected gold rings shatter, replaced by three connected gold rings.

Lovely. I can only imagine what sort of upgraded effect this card has… Keeping the Temporal Machine Gods on the field? No, if that was the case, he would've activated it before his Standby Phase…

"But _Infinite Light Ain Soph Ohr_ has one purpose right now—and that is to go to the Graveyard as well!"

"What?" I ask. "Why would you do that?"

"I have Summoned all ten of the normal Temporal Machine Gods in this Duel!" Z-ONE shouts.

"'Normal' ones? What?"

"_The source of nothingness and existence, the ultimate Temporal Machine God that was born from infinite light! Ain Soph Ohr effect activates! I Special Summon the Ultimate Temporal Machine God Sephiron_!"

Thunder booms, and I recoil as a bright flash of light explodes near me. When I look back, a monster has appeared above me. It has a staff-like body like the other Temporal Machine Gods, only this one's is blue, with golden lines. The monster's armor is golden, and it has two wing-like structures extending from an omega-symbol on its back, each with three segments. This monster's mirror is shaped like the letter Y, only with a circle in the center. The face on this mirror is Sayer's, which I was actually expecting.

What I wasn't expecting was for this monster to be so much larger than the others. I'd say it's as large as the Earthbound Immortals…

**Ultimate Temporal Machine God Sephiron ATK: 4000, DEF: 4000, Level 12**

If this monster has the ability to negate Trap cards… I'm screwed. Royally, utterly screwed. I can prevent attacks, but dealing with a monster that strong with the complete lack of monsters I've been drawing… and the only one I have has no defense whatsoever.

Z-ONE smirks. "This is the strongest monster in my Deck, and for much more than one reason. The first is its first ability: once a turn, I can Special Summon as many 'Temporal Machine Gods' from my hand, Deck, or Graveyard as I want, as long as there is room in my Monster Card Zone, and all of their ATKs become 4000."

"That's… ridiculous…"

"_Tzaphion_!_ Sandaion_!_ Hairon_!_ Camion_!" he shouts.

The four monsters appear on the field in the order that they were named. They're much larger than before, but nowhere close to the size of _Sephiron_…

"Oh, and I forgot to mention that _Sephiron_ gains ATK equal to the total ATK of all other 'Temporal Machine Gods' on my side of the field," Z-ONE adds.

**Ultimate Temporal Machine God Sephiron ATK: 4000 to 20000**

I don't even have words for this anymore. These monsters are so ridiculously overpowered, they should be illegal. How did he even _get_ them? _'If only I could draw a card that lets me negate monster effects. _Then_ I would be able to win easily.'_

"_Temporal Machine God Tzaphion_ attacks first!"

The wave of water comes, ready to swamp away my Spells and Traps. This time I'm prepared. This time, I won't let it happen. "I activate the Continuous Trap _Dragon Star Shield_! By sending a Dragon-Type Synchro Monster in my Extra Deck to the Graveyard, I can negate one attack! I choose to send… _Black Rose Dragon_!"

For a moment, the only thing to appear on the field is an octagon-shaped shield that… is really only a frame. But then a ghost version of the rose-covered dragon appears inside of it. The shield and dragon forces the water away from the rest of my cards, instead hitting buildings next to us, causing several pieces of them to break off and fall to earth. Earth, that is getting too close for comfort…

"Then I attack again, this time with _Temporal Machine God Sandaion_!"

"_Black-Winged Dragon_!" I shout.

The rose-covered dragon inside of the shield vanishes, replaced by Crow's dragon. This time, it's a blast of light that the shield repels.

"Fine then, _Temporal Machine God Camion_! Your turn!"

"_Red Dragon Archfiend_!"

The black-and-red dragon appears inside of the shield just as the boulders that materialize in the air try to hit my monster.

"_Temporal Machine God Hairon_, you attack now!"

"_Life Stream Dragon_!"

The second earth-based attack tries to strike my fairy, but Leo's new dragon appears inside of the shield in time to deflect them.

"And finally, _Ultimate Temporal Machine God Sephiron_!"

'_Should I negate it? I mean, what's the point? The attack would destroy my fairy, and he has no more monsters to attack with… but that would leave me defenseless…'_

Eventually, I decide, "_Stardust Dragon_!"

The shield gains solidness just in time with my brother's silver dragon; the beam of light from the largest of Z-ONE's monsters nearly lands. I let out a little sigh of relief…

But that relief does not last long.

_CCCCCRRRRRAAAAACCCCCKKKK!_

What was that sound?

By the time I look up, it's too late for any reaction from anyone.

The beam of light had been deflected by the shield, into one of the old buildings on Ark Cradle. As the buildings on it were just _waiting_ for the slightest push to fall off, the attack made this building start to plummet towards the earth. I just happen to be underneath it when it does.

Metal and concrete screech with a cacophony of sound, and I have no control over the Duel Runner as it flips twice… and launches me off of it.

I can't move. It's not because I'm in pain. No, it's because I can't feel any part of my body. Shock? Can't shock make everything shut down? Maybe that, in combination with the fact that oh, I was just knocked out of the sky by a freaking _building_, and my head took most of the impact, is why I can't move.

Nothing I do helps. No magic, no movement…

And the ground just keeps getting closer and closer as my hope gets farther and farther away…

**To be continued…**

Me: Huh? This is the end of the chapter, but Lucifer sent me something else… *Reads last paper* NO!

Sky: What? What are you yelling 'NO' at, aside from the ending that totally rips off the show?

Me: Read this! *Hands over paper*

Sky: *Scans paper* …Doesn't Lucy have _enough_ story ideas that involve people dying?

Me: Apparently not.

Shade: Wait, let me see that… *Takes paper, reads it* Hey, this is mine! How did Lucifer get ahold of it?

Me: Oh… that explains a lot.

Sky: _You're_ the one that wants to write… that… that thing?

Shade: Of course. It's no fun if Lucy gets all the credit for evilness.

Me: Well… uhm… I think the story is an interesting idea…

Shade: Yes!

Me: But you're going to have to wait until _after_ Blue Sky is finished and the other stories have a lot of progress.

Shade: Dang it… I'll go work on something then…

Sky: You're going to write that?

Me: Hey, it's an idea I haven't seen other authors use, and it's _really_ interesting! …So yeah, eventually.

Sky: I will never be able to understand you.

Me: Good. Well, this is all the time I have right now. Please, leave a review! Even if you say you hate this story, that's perfectly fine by me! I want to hear what _everyone_ has to say!


	65. Chapter 65: Creation Burst

Me: Yay! I'm managing to update Blue Sky on my birthday!

Sky: Happy birthday! Does this mean no evil stuff?

Me: Hmm… maybe just a little. But I don't think there's that much…

Sky: I hope you've enjoyed your day so far.

Me: Are you kidding me? I have over $170 in spending money, _Bravely Default_, _Eona: The Last Dragoneye_ (that's a book I wanted), _Scribblenauts Unlimited_, and a PSP. A FREAKING PSP! It wasn't even my _family_ who gave it to me! I just _happened _to mention it to one of my friends, and his dad just so happened to have a PSP that really only has a few months of wear on it that they didn't want!

Sky: Sounds like you have a nice friend for once.

Me: …For once?

Sky: All of your friends are insane.

Me: …This friend was messing around with another one while she was trying to call home for a ride. He kept yelling that we were 'doing drugs' and 'playing strip poker'.

Sky: HURK!

Me: That's what I did. Except I had an icecube in my mouth at the time… So I kind of splattered ice slivers all over the carpet…

Sky: That's… uh… nice…

Me: *Shrug* It was. Well, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds, but I do own my OCs and some of their cards… Z-ONE might seem OOC at some points, I don't know. Maybe even Sky, if it's possible for me to write her out of character… Well, enjoy anyways!

**Chapter 65**

_Nothing I do helps. No magic, no movement… And the ground just keeps getting closer and closer as my hope gets farther and farther away…_

After everything I've done, it's been for nothing? I can take on Dark Signers, I can fall off cliffs, I can technically die not once, but _twice_, I can quite dangerously travel through time… I can carry the power of two deities…

And what do I have to prove for it? Nothing except for the looming darkness that is my death…

No hope… at least not for me. Maybe Yusei will finish the Duel or something…

Oh, who am I kidding? Yusei will be _devastated_ if I die! He wouldn't be able to Duel anyone!

I find that the lack of movement is only in my body, as I can still manage a whisper. "I'm sorry, Yusei. I'm sorry, Dusk. And everyone else… I'm sorry I couldn't stop Z-ONE…"

I close my eyes, ready to accept my fate.

"_You can't give up!"_

My eyes snap open. That voice, it couldn't possibly be…!

"_It doesn't have to end here!"_ the voice, my _father's_ voice repeats. _"You still have a chance at victory!"_

"But… how…?" I find myself asking before I think I've gone insane, because I'm talking to someone who's dead and, unlike last time, can't see him.

"_Just hold onto hope!"_

Hold on… to hope? That sounds like something… _I_ would say. And all of a sudden, I start laughing. I don't even know why.

And then I hit something solid.

…But it isn't the ground. I don't splatter like a raw egg thrown against a window. I landed on… a person?

I look around and see myself staring back at me. Or rather, it's Dusk, a smirk on her face as she says, "Well, I guess this'll count as me returning the favor."

"Dusk… You saved me?"

"Don't forget Future Yusei," Dusk adds.

I tilt my head, to see my brother's future self look back at me, grin and wave a little, before he turns back around and steers the dragon away from the path of a falling building.

…Wait a second, a dragon?! I find myself able to move again, and twist out of Dusk's arms. Now I'm lying face-down on the back of something black and scaly. I push myself up to a sitting position, and realize I'm actually riding on _Fallen Nova Dragon_, Dusk's counterpart for my _Celestial Dragon-Quasar_. I also realize that Dusk has a Duel Disk on, with the dragon's card on it.

Ah, that explains the dragon.

"Well… thanks, both of you," I say slowly. "But… what am I supposed to do? His monsters are so strong and I've yet to get a card that can negate effects and I can't stall for much longer—"

"_Life Stream Dragon_ is a Synchro Tuner," Dusk cuts me off.

I blink a few times, absorbing the fact. But what good will that do me, unless… "Is there something beyond Accel Synchro?"

Dusk nods, "I'm fairly certain Antinomy showed off Delta Accel Synchro in his Duel with your Yusei."

My heart pangs a little. Antinomy was Bruno, and I know how hard it is for Yusei to Duel someone he's become close friends with in circumstances like this…

My future self shakes her head, and adds, "But I'm not talking about Delta Accel Synchro."

"Then… what?"

"Believe in your cards, and your friends," Future Yusei replies without looking back at me.

"Alright," I say, though not with much enthusiasm.

"Sky, listen to me," Dusk says, grabbing my arm. "If anyone can stop Z-ONE, it's you. Just don't give up. The light will find a way."

The light will find a way… "Okay, I understand now." I nod, smiling back.

"Good," Dusk says. "On three, be prepared to land back on the _Yusei-Go_."

"W-What?"

"One, two, three!"

I don't have the time to get a grip on anything as Future Yusei causes the dragon to do a barrel roll, launching me off of it. I let out a scream, flailing around a little… and then land on my brother's Duel Runner and quickly regain my senses. I look back up. Dusk is laughing, so I glare at her, but she only laughs harder.

'_Ugh, next time warn me about what you're going to do,'_ I think. Then I shake my head. It's time to concentrate on my Duel. Quickly turning the Duel Runner, I spiral back into the sky—just in time, too, because the ground was literally inches from the tires.

When I get back into Z-ONE's sight, he snarls a little, but I can almost _hear_ the collective sigh of relief from my friends and everyone in Neo Domino City and Satellite. I can understand why, I mean, I'm the one thing standing between them and the thing that can cause their deaths, and I _almost_ died just now…

"So, you refuse to give up…" Z-ONE says with a sour tone.

"Of _course_!" I shout in return. "I'll keep fighting until the very end and _then_ some!"

"Hmph. Such admirable tenacity that will get you nowhere but death…" Z-ONE shakes his head. "I end my turn."

"It's my turn!" I practically rip the card out from my Deck.

**Z-ONE S.C. 3, Sky S.C. 5**

"I Summon the Tuner _Crimson Star Harmonizer_!"

**Crimson Star Harmonizer ATK: 1600, DEF: 0, Level 4**

Contrary to its name, the monster that appears is a wyvern with shimmering red and gold scales. It's contrary, because the last thing you'd expect to be creating "harmony" is a creature known more for belligerent ways when threatened. The wyvern flies up next to me, waving its hooked tail, and screeches.

"Oh, and what good will that do? I've no recollection of you having a Level 6 Synchro Monster," Z-ONE recalls.

I smirk, "You're correct there; I don't have a Level 6 Synchro Monster. However, I _do_ have two Level 7 ones in my Extra Deck, and one of them I want on my field."

Z-ONE frowns. "I don't follow."

"You will, once I activate _Crimson Star Harmonizer's_ first ability," I continue. "See, this lets me change the Level of another monster on my field to that of one in my Graveyard… like _Crimson Star Twins_: Level 3!"

**Crimson Star Fairy: Level 2 to 3**

"The only downside to this is that, if I use this effect on a monster that isn't part of the 'Crimson Star' archetype, my Life Points are cut in two," I continue. "But that is not the case at this moment, and now I Tune the Level 4 _Crimson Star Harmonizer_ with the Level 3 _Crimson Star Fairy_! Once again, I Synchro Summon the regal _Ancient Fairy Dragon_!" I declare.

When Luna's blue, butterfly-like dragon reappears, Z-ONE's frown turns into a scowl. He has no idea what I'm trying to do. And that means… I still have a chance.

"Now, _Crimson Star Harmonizer's_ second ability activates!" I exclaim. "When used in the Synchro Summon of a Dragon-Type Synchro Monster, I can revive _Harmonizer_—but only once a turn!"

The fiery red cousin of dragons reappears on my field with as much vigor as it had before.

"I use _Harmonizer's_ ability on _Ancient Fairy Dragon_, changing her to the Level 8 of _Crimson Star-Envoy of the Black Feathers_!" I continue, wincing as the wyvern whips me with its tail per the Life Point halving effect.

**Sky's Life Points: 800; Ancient Fairy Dragon: Level 7 to 8**

"What are you doing?" Z-ONE finally asks, exasperated.

"Showing you the power of the Envoy of the Crimson Dragon!" I bellow, throwing my right arm out in front of me. The mark that I've taken to calling my Signer Mark glows brighter as I declare, "I Tune my Level 4 _Crimson Star Harmonizer_ with my Level 8 _Ancient Fairy Dragon_! _Clustering holy lights shine throughout the dimension of eternity! Become the path its light shines upon! Synchro Summon! A most regal descent, Crimson Fairy Dragon_!"

**Crimson Fairy Dragon ATK: 4000, DEF: 5000, Level 12**

In a much larger column of light than normal forms a dragon that, of everyone else here, only Dusk and (technically) Future Yusei have seen. She spreads her wings so that they stick out of the pillar—they are the exact same as _Ancient Fairy Dragon's_. Then, the pillar disappears to reveal that this dragon has purple scales instead of blue, a red mane instead of teal, and red armor that protects even better than _Ancient Fairy Dragon's_ golden armor. The Mark of the Front Claw is embedded in the right side of the armor, and glows faintly.

'_That dragon… is amazing,'_ I hear my brother's voice comment.

'_Think of it as my version of your _Majestic Star Dragon_,' _I think back, _'it's an upgrade. A powerful one that might get me out of this predicament.'_

A short pause, and Yusei replies, _'I bet you will.'_

Cutting off the conversation, I explain to Z-ONE's bewildered face, "_Crimson Fairy Dragon_ is only one piece of the puzzle—all of the other Signer Dragons have one of these, but I'm using _Crimson Fairy Dragon_ for her ability! I can decrease her ATK by 500 in order to Special Summon one monster from my Graveyard, but it loses 1000 ATK and DEF!"

Snapped out of his confusion, my opponent laughs. "You would make your dragon _weaker_? As if you weren't already about to lose!"

"Attack power isn't everything, Z-ONE," I say. I close my eyes, silently asking my friends for their strength. Power bubbles inside of me, and I know they've answered me. "I reduce _Crimson Fairy Dragon's_ ATK by 2000 in order to revive… _Black Rose Dragon_,_ Red Dragon Archfiend_,_ Life Stream Dragon_, and_ Black-Winged Dragon_!"

**Crimson Fairy Dragon ATK: 4000 to 3000**

The marvelous purple dragon clad in red flaps her wings, and sparkles rain off of them. A hole in the sky opens up, allowing the sparkles to fall into it. In a burst of light, four creatures fly out of the pit.

**Black Rose Dragon ATK: 2400 to 1400, DEF: 1800 to 800, Level 7**

The first dragon out is Akiza's, with a sleek black body covered in dark pink rose petals. Her body has several lines, the exact same color as the rose petals.

**Red Dragon Archfiend ATK: 3000 to 2000, DEF: 2000 to 1000, Level 8**

The second dragon out is Jack's, also with a black body, but much more war-like in appearance. His wings are dark red, frayed at the ends, and red plates cover his legs, chest, and shoulders. This dragon has three horns—two curved backwards from each side of the dragon's head, and one curved back from the top.

**Life Stream Dragon ATK: 2900 to 1900, DEF: 2400 to 1400, Level 8**

The third dragon out is Leo's, a four-winged with an orangish body. Each wing looks like lightly-colored leather, and a part that looks exactly like that material is attached to the dragon's tail, though it is small. Something that looks like a weapon is stuck to the back of his left arm—a red base with a metal spike at the end.

**Black-Winged Dragon ATK: 2800 to 1800, DEF: 1600 to 600, Level 8**

Last but not least, Crow's dragon flies out from the hole in the sky. This one lacks legs, unless you count the four giant claws—two on each side—that come out from the dragon's lower half. His tail is entirely made of feathers—short black ones that branch out into long, flowing white ones. As _Black-Winged Dragon_ has no Black Feather Counters yet, the feather-like segments on his wings are white with black streaks.

"So, you've gathered all of the Signer Dragon's aside from your brother's on the field," Z-ONE notes. "I still don't see how—"

In any normal circumstance, I wouldn't cut anyone off. But right now, time is of extreme essence, and so I interrupt by shouting, "I activate _Life Stream Dragon's_ ability! Once per turn, I can change the Levels of all other Synchro Monsters I control to one that I choose! And the Level I choose is… one!"

**Crimson Fairy Dragon: Level 12 to 1; Black Rose Dragon: Level 7 to 1; Red Dragon Archfiend: Level 8 to 1; Black-Winged Dragon: Level 8 to 1**

I laugh, because the tables have turned so much. Before, it was me in confusion, but now it's Z-ONE, completely dumbfounded at the moves I keep pulling that seem to lead to nowhere. My laughter seems to make him angry on top of confused, and I end up stopping. He might be trying to destroy everything, but… he is still technically my brother, right? Technically? Well, if not, he _was_ some Sky Fudo's brother, and so I don't want to get him that riled up for some reason.

'_You can't possibly be planning something drastic, are you Sky?'_ Yusei asks me telepathically.

'_Define 'drastic','_ I quickly reply, settling on a sarcastic response. _'Don't worry, I'll be fine. Just as long as you—and _all_ of the others—support me.'_

'_We've been supporting you since the beginning.'_

A smile creeps up on my face, and warmth fills my heart as I think of the others. Not just the Signers, but everyone else I know here in the City and Satellite. Martha and her orphans and Dr. Schmidt. Mina, Trudge, Kaz, even Lazar! Carly—oh, the list could go on and on!

'_Oh, mighty Crimson Dragon,'_ I think, attempting to channel my power. I have no clue if it's working, but I think it is because the Seal of the Dragon on my back hurts a lot more. _'Please, grant me your power to protect my home, my family, my friends, and everyone else who lives here!'_

A familiar screech nearby makes me tilt my head in its direction. The Crimson Dragon, fiery as I've never seen it before, flies next to me.

'_Reshiram, can you help as well?'_

'_Of course, little one,'_ she replies. _'Two is better than one.'_

"Z-ONE! This is where I turn the tides!" I shout. I'm suddenly cloaked in light, and I can no longer see or move or hear…

Wait, I can still hear. It's my voice, but it sounds so far away…

"I Tune the Level 8 _Life Stream Dragon_ with the Level 1 _Crimson Fairy Dragon_, _Black Rose Dragon_,_ Red Dragon Archfiend_, and _Black-Winged Dragon_! _Clustering stars become as one, as new bonds will illuminate the future! Become the path its light shines upon! Limit Over Accel Synchro! The Light of Evolution, Shooting Quasar Dragon_!"

Limit Over Accel Synchro? Alright, whatever I'm doing _better_ be good…

I'm dropped back into my body and it takes me several seconds to reorient myself. I'm on the _Yusei-Go_… descending from the clouds… alright. And then I turn around to see where this powerful light is coming from.

I gasp.

The dragon I appear to have something bears a loose resemblance to _Stardust Dragon_, although that's only in the shape of his head. And even _that_ is only a miniscule comparison—this dragon's… I guess it would be his snout, is much longer, skinnier, and even curls backwards in a point. His body is mostly a dark blue or black (I can't tell from this distance), although he has silver-blue coverings on the back of his arms, legs, and in an X-shape across his chest. At the center of the X-shape is a green orb. The silver-blue material also makes up the dragon's wings, which are more blades than something I would think you could fly with.

**Shooting Quasar Dragon ATK: 4000, DEF: 4000, Level 12**

Z-ONE laughs upon seeing my new dragon's stats. "Hah! Your dragon is nowhere _close_ to what you need to defeat _Ultimate Temporal Machine God Sephiron_—unless you aim for a suicide attack?"

I smile, but only faintly. He doesn't realize my dragon's effect will be the end of his precious monster… "That ends my turn, Z-ONE! Oh, and 'just so you know, this is the last one you will have in this Duel'," I quote.

Well, it looks like I've certainly peeved him off. He says nothing as he draws his card, until he has to explain that all of his normal Temporal Machine Deities still have to return to the Deck during his Standby Phase.

**Z-ONE S.C. 4, Sky S.C. 6; Ultimate Temporal Machine Deity Sephiron ATK: 20000 to 4000**

'_Wait for it…'_

"Your dragon is nothing more than a pathetic lizard! I won't let it stop _Sephiron_!" Z-ONE cries out. "I activate the effect of _Sephiron_ again, reclaiming the four Deities I returned—"

'_Now!'_ "Not so fast, Z-ONE! I counter with _Shooting Quasar Dragon's_ ability! Once a turn, I can negate the activation and effect of a card and destroy it!"

The look on Z-ONE's face is priceless. It's a combination of disbelief and anger… and, if I look deeper, relief. But why relief? Doesn't Z-ONE still want to win?

My new dragon screeches, emitting a powerful blast of light from the orb in his chest. It strikes Z-ONE's monster head-on, and one of the loudest explosions I've heard in my life resonates throughout the area.

Everything is… blurry… and I can't hear all that well… wait… I think my senses are returning to normal. Yes, they are. Z-ONE appears to have landed his pod thing on top of one of Neo Domino City's buildings, so I land alongside him.

"I… can't believe… I did all of that," he says slowly. He turns to me, "Finish this, Sky. I end my turn."

I draw my card, almost reluctantly. Z-ONE's shift in attitude… It bothers me.

**Z-ONE S.C. 5, Sky S.C. 7**

"_Shooting Quasar Dragon_…" I start, but then my voice cuts off.

I can't do it. Instead of seeing the aged Yusei, I see my brother inside of that suit, that pod. I see _him_ looking back at me, not a Yusei who has lost practically everything. I curl my fingers together and retract my hand from its outstretched position.

"Sky, please, you aren't doing yourself any favors!" he urges. "Just attack me and… and it'll all be over! I'll stop the Ark Cradle's descent!"

Dang it, now I'm crying. I blink away the tears. I look at Z-ONE. He still looks like my brother, but with a desperate look on his face. One that I've seen all to often, as of late…

I close my eyes, tilt my head down, and shout, "_Shooting Quasar Dragon_! Attack… attack Z-ONE directly and end this Duel! _Creation Burst_!"

Five glowing orbs appear around _Shooting Quasar Dragon_—one black, one red, one orange, one yellow, and one teal. They spiral together, and strike Z-ONE as hard as they can. I think I see him and his capsule fall off the roof…

**Z-ONE's Life Points: 0. Winner: Sky Fudo.**

I run to the side of the building immediately, looking down in horror. But, aside from a few spilled garbage cans, there is nothing on the street below. So instead, I look up, to where Z-ONE appears to be… heading _back_ to the Ark Cradle?!

I shout, catching his attention. He turns around, and my eyes lock with his. I let out a small gasp—he has hope in his eyes again! "Sky… thank you for saving me from my madness… and allowing me to see one of my sisters again, even if you aren't really her."

"Z-ONE—Yusei! What are you doing?"

"Ark Cradle requires a sacrifice of positive spinning Momentum to send it back to its own time and, well… it is what powers this contraption I choose to ride."

Requires a… sacrifice? "But doesn't that mean…?"

"I'll die? Perhaps there's a way around Dusk's spell," he replies. "I don't know. But it isn't right for anyone else to do this—Ark Cradle belongs to _me_, and now I must see it back to where it belongs… Goodbye, Sky Fudo."

"Goodbye…" I whisper back. Almost silently, I add, "Little brother…"

I see Dusk and Future Yusei, still on the back of _Fallen Nova Dragon_, flying after Z-ONE. They wave to me, and as they turn around, I watch them disappear.

Disappear…? Maybe, because the past has changed, the future has as well… That's what I hope for.

And before I can do anything else, I'm enveloped in light—bright red light, that is the power of the Crimson Dragon.

**XXX**

I can barely see, but I can still feel the impact of someone ramming against my body, pulling me into a tight hug. "Next time you want to take my place in saving the world, just ask," Yusei says into my ear.

Everything clicks into place, and I reply, "Oh, but would you listen to me?"

He chuckles. "Probably not. But you scared all of us half to death when you…"

I know what he means. When I fell.

My Extra Deck starts glowing, and I pull out the cards. "Oh, right… before I forget, I should return these to you guys," I mumble.

Jack says nothing, but sort of glares at me as I return his dragon. Knowing Jack, he's probably going to hate me for a few hours—no one uses his cards without his permission, and I certainly didn't. But then he pats me on the back, "Good job."

"Thanks…" I say.

Crow is a lot kinder when I give back _Black-Winged Dragon_, although he repeats the 'just ask' montra Yusei told me. "C'mon Sky, we probably would've let _you_ Duel instead if ya just asked."

"I'll keep that in mind for next time," I reply, laughing.

"There isn't gonna _be_ a next time!"

I chuckle as I turn to Akiza, extending _Black Rose Dragon_. She takes the card back. "Hmm… I… well, I'm glad you won," Akiza says. "Although… I still think Yusei could have handled himself in that Duel."

I nod in agreement, "He would have. Probably better than I did, too."

Next, I go to the Twins. Leo bounces around a few times as I hand him back his two dragons, declaring, "Hey! _Life Stream Dragon_ was really the only reason you were able to pull that off… right?"

"Yes," I reply.

"Then I totally saved the day!"

I laugh at his logic. While true, it was the efforts of _everyone_ that _really_ saved the day. "Sure you did, Leo."

"Uhm… Sky?" Luna says. "Can I see… _Crimson Fairy Dragon_?"

"Sure!" I hand back _Ancient Fairy Dragon _first, and then pull out the dragon she wants to see.

Her face brightens as soon as she touches the card. "Oh! So much… life energy!"

"She's saved me twice now, you know," I say.

Luna nods. "I can tell."

I offer her a smile before turning back to Yusei. On second thought, I pull another card out of my Extra Deck, and hand it to him along with _Stardust Dragon_.

Yusei looks at it, and his eyes widen. "_Shooting Quasar Dragon_? I can't accept this."

"Think of it as an apology for stealing your Duel Runner," I say.

"But you gave it back not even half a day later! And it isn't really _damaged_!"

I shake my head, and press the card back into his hand. "I have enough good cards. Besides… I have a feeling that _Shooting Quasar Dragon_ fits better in your Deck."

Yusei looks at me, then the card, and back at me. "Alright…" He pockets both of the cards I've handed to him. A smile appears on his face. "That's the end of having to save Neo Domino and possibly the world?"

I grin back at him. "Oh yeah, that's it!" I look back over the City—while it's a little bit damaged, the City appears relatively unharmed, along with Satellite… but most importantly, Ark Cradle is disappearing, already a distant memory.

**To be continued…**

Me: And that's the—hey, wait a minute!

Sky: What's wrong?!

Me: This… this is the last chapter! All that's left is the epilogue!

Sky: *Eyes widen* WHAT?!

Me: I never thought I'd get this far… Oh my gosh, this makes me so happy right now…

Shade: It's a shame we can't finish the epilogue in twenty minutes. Then it could be our birthday present to you. And when I say 'our', I mean mine, Rudolph, and Piano's. And that wouldn't work because I don't work with those two and there needs to be an allusion for evil to come at the end and—

Me: SHADE! *Voice cracks* Dang it, stupid allergies… Shade! No more spoilers!

Shade: Tsk, tsk, fine.

Rudolph: Arf! Arf!

Me: That was Rudolph, asking for reviews. And by reviews, I mean cookies. Which you can send to him in a review, along with your thoughts about this chapter. Please? The cookies are also for Piano…

_PS: Check out my new story called "Sacrifice"! I don't believe explanations are necessary for that one. And… Shimmer's update will come tomorrow! I ran out of time, unfortunately._


	66. Epilogue: For the Future

Me: Is it possible to die from an excessive amount of happiness?

Meri: Only if you quit breathing because of it.

Muse-Jack: Hmm, what about an overdose of laughing gas?

Me: …Okay, I don't know about that last one.

Sky: Why do you ask?

Me: Aside from having to get a loaner computer from school because mine decided to break, yesterday and today have been amazing! I got very good critical feedback from my teacher on an essay, I beat _Bravely Default_ before discovering it has a _second_ ending, there was this _amazing_ flute player in my brother's school's jazz band, I saw my science teacher from last year and my band director from 5th Grade, mcdinh had an amazing update to Crystallization earlier today… oh. Did you notice what I'm posting?

Sky: The epilogue?

Me: Yes. The epilogue. Four years of hard work, and it's all being paid off right here.

Sky: I… don't know how to feel about this.

Me: Relieved. But probably really mad at me when I get to the end.

Sky: Why…?

Me: You'll see. Oh, and I slightly manipulated the events at the end of 5Ds. You'll see how in a moment. Just… know that it's not totally canon. I mean, that's a given because this is fanfiction, but… Eh. I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds, but I do own my OCs. I hope you enjoy the last installment in Blue Sky!

**Epilogue**

The next day, Lazar hosted a party that, officially, was to celebrate the end of the WRGP, but unofficially, was in mine and my friends' honor. After all, we were the ones who kept the City and Satellite safe.

"To victory!"

"But most importantly, to the end of having to save the world!" I add to the toast. I don't know who started it, though…

Everyone laughs as we click our cups together. Me, most of all. I can _finally_ rest easily, not having to worry about the safety of my brother or my friends. Between living in the crime-ridden Satellite, battling Dark Signers, building the bridge—there were a lot of people in Neo Domino that battled us at every step, the WRGP, Yliaster, and Z-ONE, I haven't had time to just sit back and enjoy life.

Oh, what to do now?

**XXX**

About two hours into the party, I find myself outside on a balcony. It was getting pretty stuffy inside, and several reporters have already tried to pile questions upon questions on me.

I sigh, grab ahold of the railing, and lean forward. Too much to think about, when I should be enjoying myself. Not that I really like this party—I'm certainly not for them, and Akiza managed to get me back in the white dress she bought me earlier this year for it, making me hate it even more—but still. I just saved Neo Domino and Satellite. I don't have to worry about some life-or-death Duel anymore.

No, this peace is actually what scares me, and what's currently occupying the majority of my thoughts. Ever since my parents died, all of my thoughts have been for survival. My own, my brother's, my friends'. Sure, there have been days where I've let go of my troubles (namely my birthdays and Christmas), but honestly it's been so long, I have no idea how I'm going to be able to function as a normal person would.

College is out. I've never been to an actual _school_ in my life—before Zero Reverse, because of my parents sheltering me, and after, because Martha's homeschooling doesn't count as a school. Not really, anyways. And that was only until I was thirteen. Everything else that I know has been a combination of research, trial and error, and just plain common sense. I doubt that, even with my pseudo-fame, any college would accept me.

But I can't just do nothing for the rest of my life. I have to get some sort of a job, and without a college education, I'll be lucky to get one with decent pay.

I tighten my grip on the railing for a few moments, and then let go. I turn around, ready to walk back into the building—but instead, I walk into something solid. And human. "I'm sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going," I instantly say.

"No, no, it was my fault," Shoshan replies. "I should have made some sort of noise. Let you know I was coming."

Oh. Shoshan. Of all the people to bump into, it's him. Certainly one of a few I need to have a very serious conversation with. After all, we haven't spoken about what we saw from Dusk's future… mostly the fact that the two of us were engaged in it. And future me was pregnant with Aurelia, too. It's not a conversation I've been looking forward to, but one that needs to be had.

I clear my throat, rocking on my heels. "So."

"So," he mimics.

"We're having the conversation now, aren't we?"

"Better now than if we put it off," Shoshan says. "Besides, we're the only ones out here. All the others are enjoying themselves inside. So, it's not likely that we'll be overheard."

"True…" I agree. "Where do you want to start, then?"

"Well, I think it's best that I get this off my plate…" He takes a deep breath, and continues, "Even before I watched that version of the future, I've had a really, really large crush on you, Sky."

Huh. This is certainly news to me. I mean, I thought I had decent reads on _all_ of my friends and who they had crushes on. Then again, there were signs… going all the way back to when we first met. I still remember the strange feeling, like electricity, that ran through me when I shook his hand. Oh, and that time he came over because Sydney and Escolar were sick! He sounded really jealous by the fact that I lived with a bunch of guys, even though they're younger than me.

"Shoshan, I…" I stop, purse my lips, and think about it for a moment. "For the first time in almost twenty years, I can afford to think about a topic like my love life. Maybe right now, the only thing I feel for you is friendship, but I'm not going to shut you out just because I think the future that we saw is practically forcing me to you."

My blonde-haired, green-eyed friend heaves a giant sigh of relief. "That's great. That's… really all I needed to know."

"Mm." There's not much else to talk about, then. Unless I wanted to get into a _really_ awkward discussion, which I certainly don't. "Shall we go back inside, then?"

"Sure!"

**XXX**

"Yusei? Can I talk with you in private?" I ask.

It's been a few months since I defeated Z-ONE, and most of my friends—as in, everyone but Yusei—are planning ahead, which equates to them leaving Neo Domino. Leo and Luna are leaving not so much by choice, but by the fact that their parents are making them move to London with them. Some sort of attempt to rekindle their familial bonds. Then there's Akiza, who graduated last month from Duel Academy, and now wants to study to become a doctor. The only thing is… she got accepted into a college in Germany. Crow received an offer from a Turbo Dueling team in America, so he's going to join them, and Jack… I don't really know what he's doing, aside from the fact that he's travelling around the world.

As for me? I decided (with a great amount of convincing from a few of my Duel Spirits) that I would also join the Pro Leagues—to be more specific, the Tag Dueling sector, because Shoshan wants to follow me. It makes me feel all warm and tingly inside, to know that I have someone who will follow me everywhere and back, and also support me like that. I'm also in the Singles for Turbo Dueling, because I absolutely love that type, and my sponsor—a blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman by the name of Yuki Kokoyo who seems to like wearing suits—has perfectly balanced out the both of them. The only thing is, most of them are in mainland Japan, not Neo Domino, so I'll have to leave…

This is one of the two things I need to talk to Yusei about. The other thing is much more sensitive, and that's why I don't want Crow, the only other person in here at the moment, to hear.

Yusei puts down the tools he was using to check out his Duel Runner, and looks up at me. "Sure. Just let me put these away." He gestures to the tools he has with one hand, grabbing the tool box with the other.

"Need me to go?" Crow asks, looking up from the papers he was reading. I'm pretty sure they're about the team he plans to join.

"No, we'll just step outside," Yusei says.

I'm perfectly fine with that, so I just nod my consent and head to the roof with Yusei. You know, this seems to be the place where the biggest secrets are revealed. I mean, I told Yusei and Kalin about Reshiram here.

"So, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?" my brother asks, turning around to face me.

First things first. "I'm leaving Neo Domino at the end of this month."

"Going pro, right?" he asks.

"…Yes, how did you know?"

"I saw a bunch of sponsors talk to you at the party three months ago. You looked like you were really considering their offers."

"Ah," I nod. "If you want to know, I chose—"

"Yuki Kokoyo."

Okay, now _that_ can't be a coincidence. Nor just a really good guess. "Have you been spying on me?"

"I can't help it," Yusei replies. "I've had a couple of really vivid dreams as of late, and for some reason they're always narrated by you. You accepting Kokoyo's sponsorship was one of them."

"Weird. What about the others?"

"They don't make a lot of sense," Yusei says. He shrugs. "Is that all?"

"No. I also wanted to talk about… Akiza."

He blushes slightly and looks down. "Is… is it that obvious?"

"To everyone except Akiza, apparently," I reply. "You need to tell her how you feel about her."

"Yeah, but…" he shakes his head. "Things are too complicated now."

"Really?"

"What Dusk showed us as her future," he says.

"You can't let _that_ keep you down! It certainly didn't stop Shoshan from telling me he really likes me!"

"I just… don't want her thinking I'm telling her _because_ we saw that version of the future," Yusei says. "That, and she's moving to Germany for college. I don't want to throw something like that on her right before she goes."

I cross my arms and roll my eyes at Yusei. "Excuses, excuses. Look, you need to tell her, Yusei. She might get the wrong impression, and attempt to move on if you don't!"

I can tell my words have some sort of effect of my brother, because he looks like he goes deep in thought. He blocks our mind-link, though, so I can't tell _what_ he's thinking about. But I think it's safe to guess that he's thinking about what I said. After almost a minute of contemplation, Yusei says, "Alright, you make a good point."

"So you'll tell her?"

"When I get the chance to, yes," he replies.

By the color of his aura, I can tell that he means it.

**XXX**

The time for me to leave is finally here. Excitement and nervousness are churning in my gut. The only time I've left the islands of Neo Domino and Satellite was when I went to Crash Town. At least in this specific time period. It seems time travel makes me less excited/nervous about new surroundings. Weird.

But still, I'm leaving today. I have all of my belongings—which apparently only amounts to two suitcases and my backpack—and my Duel Runner ready to head to the airport. Because of how crowded the airport is going to be at this time, I'm saying my goodbyes to all of my friends but Yusei here, in the garage.

Jack grunts. "At least I know I'll have competition when I join the league," he tells me.

Ah. That explains why he's travelling the world first—training, I think. I offer him a smirk and reply, "Competition? More like I'll be the only one you need to beat, and _that_ isn't going to happen."

"The only person standing in the way of reclaiming my title is Yusei," Jack says, glaring at me. "If you think I'll be a pushover, you've got the wrong idea. A king never surrenders!"

I chuckle, "Then I'm looking forward to meeting you in battle one day, Jack."

That's it for my goodbye to Jack, so now it's Crow's turn. My orange-haired friend has on the same grin as always. "Hey, maybe we can work something out, and I can Duel you! Man, that would be awesome."

"It would," I agree. "When's the last time we had a friendly Duel?"

"I can't remember! That's how long!"

"Alright then, it's a promise," I say. "I don't know when, but I owe you a Duel." I extend my hand, thinking he'll want to shake on it. Instead, Crow pulls me into a hug, and he pats me on the back a few times.

"I'll miss you, Sky," he says as he lets go.

"And I'll miss you too," I reply.

Leo and Luna are next. They both smile at me, and Leo declares, "Once I'm done with school, I'm gonna go pro! Just like you, Jack, and Crow!"

"That's great!" I reply. "But make sure you still do good in school, alright? Some people don't have the chance to…" My heart pangs a little. I'm one of those…

Leo nods. "I will! I promise!"

"And I'll make sure he doesn't fail any classes," Luna adds.

"H-Hey! I can do my own work, Luna!" Leo protests.

She doesn't reply to that, at least to Leo. I hear her mumble something like "That'll be the day…" under her breath.

I bite the inside of my lip. There's one more thing I want to tell them, but I can't decide if I should or not. Hmm… "Listen you two," I say, bending down to their height and putting a hand on one of their shoulders. "You should really give your parents a chance, alright? Don't hate them for not being around and suddenly caring about their relationship with you. You might take them for granted, but… you shouldn't. Not everyone can see their parents on a daily basis." Another pang, and my gut wrenches.

"We won't!" Luna replies. "If there's anything we've learned from meeting you, Yusei, Jack, Crow, and Akiza, it's that we really should treasure family."

A smile creeps up on my face. "Good. That's… good."

I can't stay much longer, and Akiza is still waiting. With a goodbye to the both of them, I move over to the magenta-haired young woman, sitting on the couch by herself. I sit down next to her.

"I think you'll make a great doctor," I say.

"Thank you," she says. "I'll be able to help people when I do. I won't hurt them anymore."

'_So, she's trying to make up for being the Black Rose Witch, huh? I guess that makes sense,'_ I think. "Hey, that means I'll know four people I can call if I get sick or injured!"

A puzzled look crosses Akiza's face. "Four?"

"Yeah. You, my aunt, Doctor Schmidt, and Martha," I say. "Although the latter two kinda go together, since Schmidt is the doctor for Martha's orphanage and that sector of Satellite…"

"Mm."

'_I really should quit beating around the bush,'_ I think. So, when I lean in to hug her, I whisper into her ear, "Don't give up on Yusei."

I hear her breathe in sharply, but she doesn't say anything. When I release her from the hug, I can see her cheeks are a bit pinker than normal, and she's looking at my brother, not me.

'_Well, look at me, playing matchmaker when I've never fallen in love myself. What would that make me, a hypocrite? No… Ah well. Either way, those two deserve each other,'_ I think.

My phone beeps, and I check it. A text from Kokoyo. _'Head to the airport soon. The flight leaves in a little over two hours.'_

I type in a quick reply consisting of the letter 'k', and look around the room one last time. I don't know when—or even if—I'll be back here, with all of my friends here with me. What I _do_ know is that this event is going to be engraved in my memory, a happy yet sad time. Still better than the nightmarish ones I have…

"Goodbye!"

All of them (except Jack, but that doesn't surprise me) call as I walk out the door, Shoshan and Yusei in tow. I turn around and wave. "No, no! It's 'until we meet again'!" I exclaim.

Surely someday, we'll be together again. I know that for a fact, because our bonds—our ties that bind us together—will last no matter what happens. I'd stay longer, but I can't. I have to get going.

**XXX**

"Until we meet again, huh Sky?" Yusei asks.

It's time for me to officially part with Yusei, because I have to go through the security line now, where only ticket holders can.

"Right," I reply, though my voice wavers and I can feel an ache start in the back of my throat. Crap, I convinced myself I wasn't going to cry. I can talk to him over the phone or in a video chat. There is no need to cry. It's not like one of us is going to die.

And yet, I can't stop the tears that well up in my eyes and won't go away if I try to blink.

"I… I'll miss you, Yusei. And that doesn't even _begin_ to cover it," I say.

"I feel the same," Yusei replies. "Just know that whenever you want to come home, I'll always have room for you. Big sister."

"Little brother," I reply. The tears are coming on in full now, much like the ones from the family of an elderly woman who seems to be getting on a plane by herself. I pull Yusei in for one more hug, and I treat it like it's the last one I'll ever give him in my life. It's not, but it's the last I'll give him for a while, and he knows this as well.

But eventually, I have to let go, wipe my tears away, and enter the security line. I keep my eyes on Yusei still, trying to stem my tears. After some point, I manage it. Only, once I'm cleared to go, I get one last look at my brother—one final wave goodbye—and I'm crying again as I wait for the plane that's going to take me on to my future.

A bright future, I hope.

**Meanwhile…**

**?'s POV**

Darkness surrounds everything, as it always does here. What's to expect, though, when you live in the Netherworld?

More like, I'm trapped here. I know the way out, but it won't open until another eight years pass in the Human World.

I laugh, a maniacal shriek that echoes off the walls of the decrepit temple I've lived in for… Hmm, I seem to have lost track of time. Not that it matters here, where time flows out of order at random times. "Oh, how I wish it was already time to awake! There is so much light in that world… so much light to absorb and make us stronger. Isn't that right?"

"Yes," a female voice replies. "It also holds the two who defeated us all those years ago… and the traitor who helped them to victory. Perhaps we can persuade that human to join us…?"

"Possibly, but unlikely," I reply. "Unfortunately, he also houses your enemy. It won't be easy to turn him away."

"Hard, but not impossible," my companion in this dark prison says. "Eight years… That should fly by quickly for us."

"It should," I agree, nodding. And when that time is up… A smirk plasters itself on my face. Sky Fudo and Shoshan Kazuki… by the time we are done with the two of you, you'll wish we had killed you first. You'll enjoy eight years of peace, and then… we're coming for you.

**The End… For Now…**

Me: …Yeah. That's why I said you would hate me.

Sky: You're a dick! You ended a story with a cliffhanger!

Me: One, authors do that all the time. Two, I am not a dick. I am a girl. You should know this.

Sky: That's an insult to anyone, not just guys!

Me: Eh, well… Oh, and three, come on, what were you expecting?

Sky: Some sort of cheesy ending like Rewind's!

Lucifer: Too bad! I've been planning this story's sequel for almost three years now!

Sky: …But you hadn't even finished this one yet.

Lucifer: That doesn't mean I can't think about a sequel. Or sidestories. Or sequels to the sidestories.

Me: Multitasking seems to be my specialty, along with my muses'. That and cliffhangers. Cliffhangers are always a specialty.

Sky: You've also got evil plot twists, complicated family trees, weird love stories… Do I need to keep naming things?

Me: No, you've got your point across. *Sniff* Dang it, I convinced myself I wouldn't cry after ending this story!

Rudolph: Arf! Arf! *Presses button, and _World of Scattering Flowers_ from _Bravely Default_ starts playing*

Me: *Bawling* Not helping *sniff* Rudolph!

Lucifer: Here, let me change it. *Presses button, and _Don't Ever Forget…_ from _Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time/Darkness/Sky_ starts playing*

Me: WAAAAAAAAAAAAH! STOP THAT!

Sky: Hey! She just finished a story she's been working on for four years! Cut her some slack! All of you!

*Music stops*

Me: *Sniff* Thank you, Sky. Eh… Thanks to all 44 people who favorited, 31 people who followed, and 195 (as of last chapter) who reviewed this story! Your support really makes the difference!

Sky: Oh, hey, any ideas on what the sequel is going to be yet?

Me: …Um, might be a little weird, but I was thinking Midnight Sun.

Sky: Why?

Me: Because there's going to be a battle between darkness and light—hence 'midnight' and 'sun', and… Erm… Midnight is generally associated with black and dark blue, and the sun is in the sky…

Sky: …So you're basically making the title similar to Blue Sky, in a way?

Me: Yeah, I guess. But I've got a lot of work to do. It probably won't go up until June. My faithful readers, keep watch! But, in the meantime, I hope Crimson Feathers can keep you occupied! Thanks again for reading!

(Oh, and if anyone wants to know, they kept their Signer Marks, okay?)


End file.
